


Lucky Strike

by BiggerTinySword, signed_aj



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: ADHD, Ableism, Actually an everything virgin, Alternate Universe - 1990s, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Champ is gross, Do I smell MARIJUANA?, Eventual Smut, F/F, First Time, Fluff, Homophobia, I'm so sorry Irish People, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Irish!Nicole, Irish!Robin, It's 1993, M/M, Nerd!Waverly, Night Terrors, Oh no they're kinky, Original Character Death(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Racism, Robin is stoned, Switching Couple POV, Tall!Nicole, That's right Laddies, The Amount of Siblings in this Story is ASTRONOMICAL, Violence, Waverly's a relationship virgin, Yep. It's everywhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:15:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 210,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23509774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiggerTinySword/pseuds/BiggerTinySword, https://archiveofourown.org/users/signed_aj/pseuds/signed_aj
Summary: 19-year-old University of Calgary sophomore, Waverly Earp, has a checklist:Promise Chrissy to be home by midnight - CheckFinish Midterm Notecards - CheckBe angry at, but also slightly jealous of, Jeremy's smart schemes - CheckSmack into a hot, Irish redhead - CheckWaitAfter an embarrassing run-in (literally), Waverly is introduced to 20-year-old junior foreign exchange student, Nicole Haught. Whether it be Waverly's adorable glasses or Nicole's cute dimples, they are both well aware of their attraction to one another.-Maybe smoking pot in the alley beside his work during his junior year semester abroad wasn't Robin's smartest choice in life, but he definitely doesn’t believe it is his dumbest. Especially after being caught by an awkward nerd who just wants to eat his vegan doughnuts with some company.Between dead parents, secret injuries, anxiety attacks, and major past mistakes, this group will soon find that every one of them has something to hide.
Relationships: Jeremy Chetri/Robin Jett, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 445
Kudos: 495





	1. Ya Tink I’m Cute, Aye?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef:  
> I don't know what the fuck this is but I just came up with it. It's 3 am.  
> Honestly, I just needed a second away from YAMHP, so here you go.  
> I'm just going to say it RIGHT NOW:  
> 1\. I never touched the 90s AND I'm not from Ireland (Perfect things to write about then, huh? I know right!)  
> 2\. If you ARE Irish and are easily offended by the butchering of your accent, get off now. I find it funny as shit to write like this, so either deal or FUCK OFF.  
> Thank you.  
> Enjoy this monstrosity!
> 
> Edit: Ok, my sister is hopping on this train to deliver some Jetri in between each WayHaught ch. Jetri is adorable and y'all are gonna love it, I promise.  
> And sorry to tell ya, but if ur just here for the Jetri/WayHaught, ur gonna have to read all of it anyways for it to make sense

**Tuesday, October 5th, 1993 11:34 PM**

Waverly let out a raspberry, nudging her glasses up her nose as she flipped to the last page of her notes, reading it over and jotting some of the information down on her flashcards. Midterms were less than a month away and she was _not_ going to be unprepared for them. Sure, some would say she was _overreacting_ , but who were they going to be jealous of when _they_ failed and _she_ didn't? 

She lifted her eyes to the boy across the library table from her, cocking a brow as he flipped back to the beginning of his notes and pulled a new set of flashcards out, starting all over again. “Jeez, Jeremy. How many more of those do you have to make?” 

He looked up at her with tired eyes. “Only five more,” he mumbled before looking back down and continuing. 

“What do you mean _only_?” she huffed. “How much are those assholes paying you for them?” 

“Eight bucks a subject.” He shrugged a little. “I’ve gotta pay my loans off somehow.” 

“Yea, well that’s usually what _jobs_ are for.” 

“But when I can fill out three of these in an hour and make $24 and you only make $5 every hour filing papers, who’s gonna be debt-free quicker?” Jeremy asked with a tip of his head. 

Waverly pursed her lips, looking back down at the notecards she was making for _herself_ and _herself_ only. “Still. There’s no reason they can’t do it themselves.” 

“Hey. At least they’re willing to put the effort in to study. Most don’t even do that.” 

The sophomore pulled the rubber band around her note cards and shut her notebook after she finished the last one, stacking it on top of the other five she had brought with her. She scooped everything into her arms and stood. “Ok, well you have fun with that. I promised Chrissy I’d be home by midnight, and it’s . . .” She looked up at the clock on the wall behind his head. “ _Almost_ midnight.” 

“Alright,” he said through a yawn. “I’ll see you in calc tomorrow.” 

Waverly gave him a little smile, stepping out from behind her chair and pushing it back in. “If you look all tired, I’m gonna be mad at you,” she said in warning. 

He put his hands up, returning the smile. “I won’t, I promise.” 

“Oook,” she drew out with a chuckle. “See ya, Jer.” 

“See ya.” 

Waverly turned and headed for the exit, looking down as she boosted her notebooks in her arms. And whether it was because her eyes were downcasted or because she just hadn’t expected it in general, she immediately smacked right into another body, sending all of her things and her glasses to the floor. “ _Shit_.” 

“ _Jaysus fuck_ , I’m so sorry,” the heavily Irish female said, already on her knees and picking up her dropped school supplies when Waverly opened her eyes from her flinch on impact.

“No,” Waverly said as she dropped down in front of her, helping her gather it all back into one pile. “It’s my fault. I wasn’t paying attention." Her eyes widened as she felt the girl tip her chin up, and they stayed that way as she slipped her round-framed glasses back on her face, for she was now able to _actually_ see her.

“Dere ya are,” the girl said with a dimpled smile. And it was the _mix_ of those dimples, her soft, amber eyes, and the strands of choppy red hair hanging out of a forest green beanie that made her stomach do a triple backflip. “Ya alrigh’ dere?” She asked as she grabbed her things for her and slowly pushed to her feet, holding her hand out to help her up. 

Oh, _and_ the accent, too.

Waverly took it, standing off the floor. “Yea. I’m fin- _Holy shit_ ,” she gawked, tipping her head up to look at her as she slowly took her things. 

“What . . .?” the redhead asked slowly. 

Waverly's face stormed with a dark blush. “Sorry, you’re just . . . _tall_.” 

“Oh,” she mumbled with a small smirk. “Nah, I tink ya’re jus’ a wee ting.” 

“No, I’m not!” Waverly said in defense, though the stupid smile on her face wasn’t helping matters. “5’3 is average! What are you, 6’3? That’s _far_ from average!” 

Her brows raised with a chuckle. “Aye, props to ya. Dat be spot on. I mostly get seven foot‘r sometin’ wack like dat.” 

Waverly giggled a little as the blush stayed prominent on her cheeks. She stuck her hand out. “I’m Waverly. You’re new, yea?” 

She shook it. “Nicole. Howja tell?” 

“Oh, just a lucky guess,” the brunette shrugged. 

“T’ought so,” she grinned. “Exchange program. I transferred ‘ere las’ month from t’e University o’ Dublin.” 

Waverly's brows lifted with a smile. “Oh, wow, that’s cool.” 

“Hell, ‘ere be far nicer dan dere,” Nicole mumbled, pushing her hands into her jean pockets, allowing the brunette to trace her eyes down her outfit for a second. The redhead was in a tight, white tee tucked into her fitting jeans that were cuffed once at the bottom to reveal her green socks to match her beanie. There were black, high-top Converse on her feet and she had a baggy red, green, white, and black-striped shirt unbuttoned over her tee. 

Waverly caught her eye again, though it seemed the redhead had been a tad slower with her look over of Waverly’s outfit. She was in a simple, loose light pink sweater and a plaid pink skirt with some aged-white, low-top Converse. Nicole cleared her throat when she met her eyes, and Waverly watched her cheeks go rosy. “Gimme a minute, Darlin’. Don’t ya run off jus’ yet.” 

Nicole lightly touched her stomach as she moved around her, and Waverly hoped she hadn’t felt the shiver that traveled through her entire body as she did so. She watched as she walked with a slight limp over to Jeremy and leaned across the table, handing him a $50 bill that she had pulled from her wallet, and he reached in his bag and handed her six stacks of notecards and two of presumably _her_ notebooks back in return. “There you go!” he said with a smile. 

“Aye, cheers! Keep t’e change, Mate. I owe ya fer dis.” 

“Thanks, Nicole,” he smiled before she turned away, immediately meeting Waverly’s slightly narrowed eyes. 

Nicole's brows furrowed, but she was quickly aware of what her issue was. “Ain’t a chancer, I promise ya. I'm jus’ a damned gimp, is all.” It was the brunette’s turn to furrow her brow, for she had barely understood a word out of her mouth. She was just about to question it, but Jeremy cut in. 

“She said she’s not cheating, Waves. She’s just . . . a little behind since she came late into the quarter and wanted some help to get everything in order for her to study with.” 

Nicole pursed her lips. “More cause I be dumber dan a bucket of rocks.”

“That’s not true,” Waverly mumbled. 

“Me grade card’ll tell ya different, Dear.” 

“What classes are you taking?” she asked as she took the stack of notecards out of her hand and read over the top title note on each one. She tipped her head back up to meet Nicole's eyes. “I could help you out with all of these if you wanted?”

“Whadya want ta help a mog like me out fer?” she questioned with a raised brow. 

“Well, for one, I know you have to be _somewhat_ smart to even be _considered_ for an exchange program most of the time, so I doubt you’re as dumb as you say you are. Two, if you are willing to be spending all your cash on study material, it means you’re probably going to put the work in _to study_. And three . . .” She paused, darting her eyes everywhere but her face for a second. “I dunno,” she said softly. “You seem like someone I’d maybe want to get to know a little better.”

Waverly watched the genuine smile that pushed back onto Nicole's face, for it seemed she had caught her drift. “Is dat right?”

Waverly’s face turned the color of Nicole’s hair for the hundredth time. “Yea.” 

“Wooo, _get it_ , Waves!” Jeremy said from the table.

Her head snapped towards him in warning. “ _Chetri_.” His eyes widened and he quickly looked back down at his work. She looked back up at Nicole, shaking her head. 

“Let’s walk, shall we?” Nicole suggested with a chuckle, turning around and touching the small of her back for a moment as they headed towards the door. 

Waverly let out a small groan as they got to the hallway. “I’m sorry, Jer’s just . . .”

“A feckin’ gobshite?” she offered with a smirk, but the brunette raised a brow. “Piece of shite,” she corrected. “Mind me, I still be gettin’ used ta what ya Canadians do ‘n don’t understand. Don’t help dat me accent’s rougher dan most Irish folk either.” 

“Noo,” Waverly said with a little whine, leaning into her for a second as they walked. “I love it, it’s cute.” The words were out of her mouth before she realized it, so there was no going back. 

Nicole looked down at her, moving back to walk close enough to her that their arms brushed every few steps. “Ya tink I’m cute, aye?” 

The brunette chewed her lip to help hold in a smile. “Maybe,” she shrugged. 

“Well, fer what it’s worth, I tink yer quite a feek yerself.” Nicole cringed at herself, for she had already been told that _no one_ knew what that meant. “ _Bloody ‘ell_. _Gorgeous_. I tink yer gorgeous, Love, if ya don’t mind me bein’ so frank.”

Waverly’s whole face was probably stained red at that point. She looked up at her with bashful eyes. “That’s sweet."

Nicole’s brow cocked. “Why ya actin’ like ya ain’t ever got told dat before?” 

“'Cause I haven’t? You’re one of the only people to pay me a second glance besides my friends the entire time I’ve been here. I’m not special. I’m just the smart girl that people use just to cheat off of.” 

Nicole stopped walking and Waverly did the same, turning and looking up at the tight furrow in her brow. “Dey all must be _mighty_ feckin’ gimps den. Yer one of t’e best tings I’ve laid me eyes on, ‘n ya got a heart o’ gold, I can see it already. Don’t tell me ye ain’t special, Waverly.” 

Waverly didn’t know if it was because she was tired and exhausted or if it was because she was PMSing, but there was a strong burn of emotions in her throat. She grabbed Nicole’s handful and set her’s and it down on the window ledge behind her, turning and wrapping her in a tight hug. She had no idea who this girl was, but there was something different about her. She could feel it. Nicole’s arms were quick to wrap around the top half of her body, and Waverly pulled in a quick breath, allowing her nostrils to be filled with the scent of vanilla. She relaxed into Nicole as a calm rushed over her, pulling her head and arms back and propping her chin up on her chest, curling her fingers around the sides of her opened shirt. 

“Ya alrigh’?” Nicole asked softly, sliding her hands around to frame her waist. 

She nodded with a little smile. “I think _you’re_ the special one, Nicole.” 

“I guess we both're special den,” she mumbled.

“I guess so.” Waverly pulled back a little, watching her eyes widened as she reached around and felt around for the pen she had seen previously in the back pocket on Nicole's jeans. She grabbed it and uncapped it with her teeth as she spun around in her arms, pulling Nicole's left one in front of her and pushing her sleeve up.

“What’re ya doin’?” The thumb on the redhead's other hand subconsciously rubbed patterns into her stomach from its position there as the girl wrote. 

“I’m giving you my phone and dorm numbers so I can help you study.” She turned back around, looking up at her with a cheeky grin. “Or, ya know, maybe if you just wanna hang out sometime.” 

The taller one looked down at the inside of her wrist, seeing that she had done just that, signing it with Waverly Earp and a cute little smiley face. She raised her eyes to her’s with a smile. “I jus’ might take ya up on dat, Darlin’.” She flicked her eyes up to the door behind them. “Dis be me gaff ‘ere.”

Waverly turned her head, logging the room number in her brain before looking back up at her. “I highly encourage that you _do_ take me up on that,” she informed with a raise of her brows and a tug on her shirt. “Goodnight, Nicole.” 

She smiled, but her face fell. “How far’re ya from ‘ere? Don’t need ya walkin’ by yerself.” 

“No, it’s ok. I’m not far,” Waverly assured.

“Ya sure?”

“I’m sure. Really.” She pulled away from her despite how much she didn’t want to, moving over to the window ledge and handing her notes back. 

“Alrigh’ den. I’ll see ya around, Waverly,” she smiled as she backed to her door and pushed it open a little. 

Waverly nodded, mirroring her face. “I can’t wait.”

And with that, the redhead turned into her room with a chuckle and Waverly continued down the hallway with a stupid smile on her face. Maybe she _had_ lied a little, for her room was some ways away, but she knew all too well that if she would have shown up at her dorm with a hot redhead in tow, her roommate would have made a scene, so she decided she would avoid that until there was a _reason_ for her to be there. 

And, _oh_ , how she couldn’t wait until there was. 

** 12:02 AM **

Waverly pulled her door open and walked in, dropping her things on the table and falling back onto her bed with a heavy exhale. 

“You good there?” Chrissy asked from her own bed as she painted her nails. Waverly turned her head towards her with the same face-splitting grin on her face she hadn’t been able to get rid of, and the blonde’s eyes shot out of her head. “ _Oh my God,_ you met someone!” She shot off her bed and jumped onto her. “Who is it!?”

Waverly groaned under her weight, “Get off!” She rolled the girl off of her stomach and sat up. She pulled her legs criss-cross in front of her, untying her shoes and throwing them off the bed. 

“Who _is_ it, Dude!? Do I know him?!”

Waverly expected that. Sure, Chrissy had been her best friend forever, but it was kinda hard to tell someone you weren’t just into guys when you didn’t _know_ you weren’t just into guys until now. 

“I doubt it,” she mumbled. 

“You never know!” 

“They . . . _ok_. We met in the library right before I left. I bumped into them, all my things fell, my glasses knocked off, it was a mess. B-” 

“Wait, why do you keep saying they?” Chrissy asked with a furrowed brow. Waverly dropped her eyes for a second, picking at the skin on her finger before looking back up at her. It took a moment, but her eyes widened. “It’s a girl, isn’t it?” 

“Are you gonna hate me if it is?” She asked with a little wince. 

Chrissy let out a scoff, grabbing one of her pillows and flinging it at her. “ _No_! Why would I hate you?!” 

Waverly caught it and set it in her lap. “I dunno . . .”

“I couldn’t care less, ok? I just didn’t know you were . . . gay.” 

“I’m not,” she mumbled. “I’m just not . . . straight, I guess. I don’t know.” 

She waved her hands, shaking her head. “Ok. It doesn’t matter. _Continue_. You dropped all your shit _and_?”

“Ok.” Waverly let out a breath. “So she immediately started picking it up. Like so fast, she was already on her knees before I saw her- that’s important. Then she’s all, ‘I’m so sorry’ whatever. _Problem,_ though.”

“Problem?” Chrissy repeated in question. 

“I notice _very_ quickly that she’s Irish.” 

_“WHAT!?”_

“Shhh!” Waverly hushed, knowing how late it was.

“Sorry,” the blonde whispered. 

“So she puts my glasses back on and I _also_ notice she’s _hella hot_. Red hair, these _magical_ eyes, _dimples_.”

“Oh shit,” the blonde mumbled. 

“Yea. So then she _stands_.” 

“And?” 

“And she’s a _foot_ taller than me, I’m not even kidding. I’ve never seen a girl that tall.” 

Chrissy stared at her with wide eyes. “ _Woah_.” The brunette continued on with the whole story from start to finish, and the taller one threw out her thoughts and questions as she spoke, all the way up until the end. 

“So, yea. That’s Nicole, the _sweetest_ thing I’ve ever met.” 

Chrissy shook her head as she balanced her face on her hands. “Now _I_ wanna meet Nicole.” 

And it was almost as if the universe was listening partially, for the sound of their phone ringing echoed through their dorm. 

Both of their eyes snapped toward the nightstand that sat in between their beds that it was sitting on, and Waverly eyed her as she moved over to it, letting out a little gasp when she realized it was an unknown number. “This might be her.” 

“No freakin’ way!”

Chrissy went to move but she pointed to her in warning. “Stay. I’ll put it on speaker _only_ if you promise to be _silent_.” 

“I will, I promise.” 

“Ok.” She knelt down in front of the phone box, letting out a breath before she pressed the speaker button. “Hello?” 

“Hey, Darlin’. I know it’s late. Don’t mean ta boter’ ya.” 

Waverly turned her head towards Chrissy, seeing the astounded look on her face after hearing her accent. “Hey, _You_. You’re not, it’s ok,” she said with a little laugh. “What’s up?” 

“I jus’ wanted ta give ya a ring ‘n letcha know dat ya slipped me one of yer notecard packs by mistake. Don’t need ya goin’ batshite lookin’ fer it all night.” 

“Did I really?” She furrowed her brow as she turned her head to look at her desk across the room, noticing that there were only five sitting there instead of six. “Shoot, I did. My bad.” 

“Nah, it’s alrigh’, Love. I can run it by if ya need it now, t’ough.” 

Chrissy widened her eyes with a quick nod but Waverly threw her a look. “No, it’s ok. It’s too late to be walking around the dorms . . . D’you have class tomorrow at eight?” 

“I do, ya. Jus’ pop by me gaff ‘n grab it before den,” she offered. 

“Ok, yea. Sounds good. 7:45 work for you?” 

“Sounds grand, but, erm.” Nicole paused for a moment and Waverly furrowed her brow as she looked to the blonde. “If ya bump it back ta seven, we could maybe go fer a coffee on me ‘n talk about . . . our _study_ plans, if nothin' else.” 

Waverly's eyes shot right open and Chrissy’s mouth ripped into a wide smile as she flicked a pillow around. “Is that a date?” She said in barely a whisper so the phone didn’t hear.

“That’s a date,” she said in the same tone, doing a quiet happy clap.

Waverly looked back to the phone. “Uh, y- yea, I’d love to,” she answered the redhead with a smile as her best friend continued to bounce around on her bed. 

“Wouldya?” Nicole asked softly.

“Of _course_ I would. It’s a date!” Her eyes widened at her wording. “Uh, I mean that I’m coming. But, yea, it’s also a date. Right?”

She heard a laugh over the line. “I’ll be payin’, so dat makes it a date . . . I’ll see ya den, Dear.” 

Waverly could hardly keep the excitement out of her voice. “Ok! See you then, Nic. Byee!” 

“Bye, Love. Sleep well,” the redhead said with another chuckle before ending the call. 

Waverly shot to her feet with a squeal and jumped up onto the bed as Chrissy stood, springing around as they screeched at one another. 

“I’m going on my first date tomorrow!”

“You’re going on your first date tomorrow!” Chrissy echoed. “Oh my God, if my best friend _finally_ has her first kiss, I might cry.”

“Shut up!” She swung a pillow at her head and the blonde laughed, leaping off the bed to dodge it. “That is moving things _way_ too fast. I don’t even know her last name yet!” Waverly got off the bed and pulled her sweater off, switching it out for a hoodie from her closet, and her skirt out for some leggings. 

“It’s probably something really hot,” Chrissy mumbled as she flicked her lamp off and crawled into bed. 

“ _Obviously_ ,” the brunette huffed. 

Waverly finished getting ready for bed before climbing under her four blankets after shutting the light off. “You are not allowed to bother us.” 

“I am not making _one_ promise to that.” 

“Chrissy!” 

“No! If she can’t handle me, she doesn’t deserve you! Plain and simple.” 

Waverly was quiet for a moment, and the blonde wasn’t sure if she had hit the hay way too fast or not. “. . . Fair enough.” 

She let out a sleepy giggle. “ _Exactly_ . . . Night, Waves.” 

“Night, Chris.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sO THERE'S THAT  
> Let me know what u think


	2. It’s Medicinal, If Dat Makes Ya Feel Betta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A baked Irish baker and a sleep deprived science geek in alley... what's the worse that could happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef here:  
> Once again, thanks for reading. I’m sorry if this isn’t what you were expecting for this fic, but I am really excited for the MANY ideas we have in store for y’all.
> 
> Much love, Gobshites!  
> Enjoy Aj's first chapter :)

** Wednesday, October 6th, 1993 6:04 AM **

Waverly was going to be _pissed_.

One moment it was just after midnight and the next, Jeremy was waking up in the library at 6 AM with a flashcard stuck to his cheek.

He groaned, collecting the several stacks of flashcards that surrounded him and rubber banding them together, doing his best to keep the stacks grouped together by the people they were going to. After he'd packed all of his things into his satchel, Jeremy took advantage of the dorm elevator, riding it all the way to the sixth floor and sludging his way to his room, unlocking the door, and creeping inside. He threw his satchel onto his bed and opened his closest as quietly as possible, digging around for something that didn’t smell like the iced coffee he’d spilt on himself the morning before.

His roommate remained passed out after another _obvious_ night of drinking even though he had classes 8 AM morning. He stayed pretty much motionless throughout all of Jeremy's movement throughout the dorm aside from the rise and fall of his chest and random twitching of his tattooed arm. 

Jeremy threw his satchel over his shoulder and shoved fresh flashcards and all of his notes into it and left the dorm, closing the door quietly behind him. He took the elevator back down to the first floor where the usual morning study groups were already milling around, waiting for all of their members while the procrastinators were rushing into the library to study for a test that they’d forgotten about. 

“Jeremy!” someone called from behind him when he tried to leave.

He turned, already rummaging through his bag for a stack of flashcards that he’d finished the night before. He handed them over and in return the person handed him $8 and a different notebook for a new set of flashcards..

“You’re the best!” they said before returning back to their study group. 

Jeremy cast them a small smiled and added the notebook to his satchel before stepping outside into the cool, October air. He started on his normal morning walk to the bakery near the science hall that never seemed to get the kind of business it deserved, because if anyone was up from the time it opened at 5 AM, they tended to go to the 24 hour diner on the other side of campus.

He opened the door to the bakery, stepping into the smell of fresh baked goods and coffee.

“Welcome to The Muffin Man,” called the barista who was working on something with her back turned to him. She turned with a tray of fresh doughnuts and smiled when she saw that it was him. "Oh, hiya, Jer! The usual?”

Jeremy nodded and counted out the exact change he needed. “How're you, Rosie?” he asked the barista as she made his coffee. 

“Kinda sore..." she said, grinning at him. "Got _absolutely railed_ last night."

He snorted a laugh. "Earl again?"

"No! I'm over him!" Rosita said, pretending to be offended. Jeremy tipped his head at her and she bit back a laugh. "Okay, yes, shut up."

"You act like I'm gonna judge you for doing something that makes you obviously very happy," Jeremy chuckled, glancing at the hickeys sticking out from the neckline of her shirt.

Rosita sighed, looking at Jeremy's rough appearance as she waited for the almond milk to steam. "Looks like you could use a good railing too. For shit's sake, Jer, did you even sleep last night?"

He shrugged. "A little."

"Gonna go ahead and give you an extra shot of expresso. I don't really feel like making one of your professors peel your dead body off their classroom floor."

"I appriciate that." 

“Anything to keep my favorite nerd alive,” she said, patting his hand when she set his coffee on the counter and moved to collect his usual vegan doughnuts. "But seriously, Jer. Have you thought about maybe looking for a relationship? I think that'd help with all the... tension in your shoulders." 

Jeremy shrugged. "You know how hard it is to find a guy around here. Especially for someone like me."

Rosita set the bag of doughnuts onto the counter and leaned against it. "You know, I think I might know someone-"  Both of them turned towards the door that lead to the kitchen when the sound of something large and metal hit the floor. She let out a loud groan, pushing the kitchen door open. "Can we go an hour without you throwing something? Like please, just sit on the counter and listen to your music if your bored, don't juggle the mixing bowls!" There was a loud laugh and slamming of another door within the kitchen and Rosita pulled her head back into the lobby. "Sorry, the baker is a fucking idiot."

Jeremy chuckled, handing her the money for his order and the extra doughnut she'd slipped into the bag when she thought he wasn't looking. "Every job has one of those."

"Isn't that the truth," she agreed, handing him back the money for the extra doughnut with a raise of her eyebrow. He groaned, putting the money back into his Batman wallet and collecting his things. "Are you staying to work on your flashcards here?"

Jeremy opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by another loud noise and another door slamming in the kitchen. "You know, I think I'm just gonna take it to my first class and work on them there."

"I don't blame you on that one," she said, nodding. "Bya, Jer." 

"Have a good day, Rosita," he said, waving before pushing the front door open.

He'd barely made it back onto the sidewalk before he started hearing a clicking from the alley beside the bakery. It had no kind of consistent pattern or even a consistency in the sound itself. After a quick contemplation over if it sounded like something that could kill him, he took cautious steps towards the alley where the clicking was coming from. He poked his head around the building to find nothing but a tall, brunet man who was furiously trying to light the end of something that was definitely  _ not  _ a cigarette. 

“What are you doing?” Jeremy asked, nervously backing away when he realized he'd caught the guy off guard.

He looked up from his joint and pulled away from the wall he was leaning against, making his height even more intimidating. Jeremy scanned his eyes over the guy's orange apron with 'The Muffin Man' across the front and his t-shirt tucked into a pair of black skinny jeans that were cuffed to show off a pair of heavy duty combat boots that made him extremely nervous. The guy cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “You gotta problem, Shorty?” he asked in a deep, aggressively Brooklyn accent. 

Jeremy gasped, backing away even more after coming to the conclusion that this was definitely not someone he should be messing with. “Uh- no… no sorry,” Jeremy stuttered, backing out of the alley. 

“Nah, I’m jus’ playin’, Mate!” the guy said, a giant, toothy smile breaking out across his face. 

“Oh my god, you’re Irish!” Jeremy stammered, his eyes wide with shock. "And smoking weed in an ally. God, am I hallucinating?" 

“I don't tink so, but I'm sure dat's what I'd say if ya were imaginin' me,” the guy chuckled, leaning back against the wall and raising the joint back to his lips, lighting it on the first try. “"N it’s medicinal, if dat makes ya feel betta.”

“What’s it help with?” Jeremy asked, taking a few cautious steps closer to him.

“I mean…” He grinned a little and looked away as he blew the smoke out through his lips. “It’s not medicinal for me. For my sham- Friend, whatever.”

“You stole that from _Nicole_?”

“Nah! I bought it from her!" he corrected, but his eyebrow raised in sudden confusion. “Ya know, I never mentioned Nic. Howdja know it was her’s?”

“Lucky guess,” he shrugged, smiling a little.

The guy snorted a laugh. "Is it t'e Irish ting?"

"Was it offensive to assume the only two Irish people on campus know each other?" 

"Not in t'e slightest," he assured. "Me name's Robin." 

“Jeremy.”

Robin held out his hand, offering Jeremy a smile along with a handshake. "Lovely ta meet ya, Jeremy."

"Same to you," Jeremy said, shoving his doughnuts in his satchel and accepting Robin's handshake. 

"Ya wouldn't happen ta be t'e same Jeremy dat Nic's been gettin' all her flashcards from, now would ya?"

Jeremy felt his face turn a light shade of red. "Uh... yeah. That would be me." 

Robin hummed, taking another hit. "She said ya was a nice one. I did tink ya'd be a wee bit more nerdy, but I ain't complainin'."

Jeremy smiled a little. “She never mentioned a tall, _very_ tall, Irish friend.”

“She’s not one to talk ‘bout ‘er personal life,” he sighed, holding out the joint towards Jeremy. “Wouldja like a hit?” 

Jeremy’s eyes widened and he quickly held up his coffee. “I’m good. Thanks, though..." Robin shrugged, taking another hit and blowing it out his nose while Jeremy absently sipped his coffee. "Aren’t you, like, kinda worried that you’ll get caught? What if you get fired? I know Rosie doesn't really care, but I'm sure there's someone higher than her that does.”

He shrugged. “She told me I had ta stop smokin’ ‘round t’e food so now she gives me smoke breaks out here when I start annoying her.”

“Ah,” Jeremy nodded, casually leaning against the wall near him and taking a sip of coffee.

Robin's eyes scanned over Jeremy for a moment. “Ya seem awfully nervous, Jeremy.”

Jeremy felt the heat rise to his face and he looked down at his coffee. “Not everyday you find an Irish stoner in an alley.”

“Guess yer right," Robin chuckled. "Do ya have t'e time?" he questioned, motioning to the cheap watch on Jeremy’s wrist.

Jeremy glanced down at it. “6:45."

Robin took one more drag and put out the joint against the wall, shoving it and the lighter into his apron pocket. “Well, I best head back in den. I’ve got a little while before I’ve ta get ready fer me 8 a.m. class.”

Jeremy nodded, giving him a smile despite not really wanting to end the conversation. “Oh, alright. I’ll see you around, I guess.”

“I hope so,” Robin said, slapping Jeremy’s arm hard enough to knock the coffee from his hand. “Ah shite, I’m sorry ‘bout dat. Don’t know me own strength. I’ll go in and make ya another 'fore ya go-”

Jeremy backed up out of the puddle of iced coffee that was forming at his feet. “No, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I’ve still got these," he said, fishing the bag of doughnuts out of his bag and holding them up.

“It’s no problem,” Robin insisted. 

“I promise, it’s all good,” Jeremy assured, picking up the cup and dropping it into the trash can that was sitting near the doors of the bakery. “Nice talking to you, Robin.”

Robin flashed him a guilty smile before heading into the bakery from a side door. “Ya too, Shorty.”

**7:30 AM**

Jeremy let out a loud sigh, leaning back in his seat in the back of the lecture hall, trying to keep himself from dozing off for the third time since he'd gotten there. He looked around at the few people who were already finding there seats and then looked to the pile and half of flashcards and wrapper of the doughnuts he'd already finished. 

“Chetri!” someone called. “Got the cards?”

“If you’ve got the money,” he shot back. The guy slapped $16 on his desk and Jeremy handed him two sets of flashcards. There were three more exchanges after him and two people requesting various amounts of flashcards before a loud thud scared him awake once more. "Fuckin' Christ," he groaned, reaching for his bag to find whatever flashcards the person was looking for, but his attention was quickly turned to the massive cup of iced coffee sitting on desk. 

Robin squatted down next to him so they were almost eye level. “Ya look exhausted, Mate.” 

“How’d you know that this was my class?” Jeremy asked nervously as he sat up in his chair and tried not to look like he'd been sleeping. 

“I’ve sat on t’e other side of t’e hall everyday since t’e start of term,” Robin informed, pointing to where he normally sat. “I have ta say dat I’m a wee bit annoyed dat you’ve never noticed me before.”

Jeremy felt his face burn red at his, finding that he was annoyed at himself for never noticing him too. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t even know what our professor looks like because I’m always so busy writing down what he says.”

"Professor’s a lady,” Robin told him with a wild grin. 

“You’re kidding?” Jeremy gasped.

“She be a chainsmoker.” 

“Oh my god,” he snorted. "Well, now you can really see that I don't pay a single ounce of attention to my surroundings.

Robin let out a laugh and stood up, showing off that he'd traded his orange apron for a pale brown cardigan that matched his hair. “Well, I’ll leave ya ta yer notes, den. 'N, enjoy t’e coffee. Looks like ya need it.”

Jeremy took the coffee and smiled a little. “Robin,” he called. Robin paused, turning to look at him. “...Thank you.” 

Robin flashed him another smile before turning back around and heading to his seat at the front of the hall. 

“Was that Robin?” Waverly asked, nearly causing Jeremy to spill his another coffee in surprise.

“Who?” Jeremy asked quickly, downing a large amount of his iced coffee to try and get rid of the tired on his face before looking up at Waverly. 

“The guy in the cardigan,” Waverly said, pulling out her own notes when she sat down next to him. “He’s Nicole’s roommate.”

“Oh, I had no idea,” Jeremy lied.

"He’s Irish,” she huffed. “You had to have had some idea that they probably know each other.”

He shrugged. “Didn’t cross my mind.” 

Waverly leaned her head on her fist and watched Robin for a moment. “Is it just me or is he _way_ too smiley and happy for before 8 in the morning?”

“I think he’s a little stoned,” Jeremy said, grinning. 

Waverly gasped, “You’re kidding?”

“Yeah,” Jeremy said with a laugh. “I’m totally kidding.”

Waverly smacked his arm. "Don't say that!" She shook her head at him before gathering the rest of her things. “Looks like you got some sleep, finally,” she said happily. “You’re beaming.” 

“Ya know, a couple hours of sleep really does some amazing things,” Jeremy agreed, his eyes trailing back down to where Robin was sitting alone at the front of the hall. "Makes you feel all content on the inside."

"Welcome, students!” said a gravely voice from the front of the room, probably startling everyone in the hall. 

For the first time all year, Jeremy looked up at the Calculus professor. She was bigger and almost gray in the face, a large contrast to the flowery dress that bounced off her curves and almost fell down to touch her heels. Jeremy bit his tongue to hold back laughter and just barely caught Robin grinning at him from his spot in the front. 

“What’s so funny?” Waverly whispered, bumping his arm in annoyance.

“Nothing,” he mumbled, but the grin on his face told her differently. 

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re being weird.”

**8:50 AM**

“You want to walk me to the history building?” Waverly asked when the lecture had finished. 

“Yeah, sure-” he paused when she stood from her seat, flicking his eyes up and down her body. “What are you wearing? You never wear those jeans with a tight shirt.”

Waverly glared at the grin on his face. “I’m trying something new, Jer.”

He gasped, “You’re dressed up for Nicole, aren’t you?”

“No!” Waverly scoffed, immediately getting defensive. “Why would you say that?”

“You saw her earlier,” Jeremy said as he began to piece it all together. “You’d have to have had seen Robin earlier to know that he has an Irish accent, so I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that you and him _weren’t_ just hanging out on your own. You went to her dorm, didn't you?”

"You don’t know anything, Chetri,” she grumbled, pulling her backpack on and walking past him. 

Jeremy shoved his things into his bag and followed her. “You’re _blushing_! Waverly Earp, tell me what happened!”

“Chetri!” someone called from behind him. “I’ve got your money!”

He groaned, grabbing several things from his satchel and handing them over. “Waverly! Wait!” he yelled as she continued to walk away from him.

Waverly turned, walking backwards. “Sorry, Jer! I’ve got a thing- somewhere else…” she lied, running a hand through her hair and turning back around, almost immediately getting lost in the crowded hall.

He let out a sigh, setting his things back down. He took the $48 from one of his regulars that had walked up and handed him several notebooks and stacks of flashcards.

“Ya make quite a good amount from all dat, aye?” Robin asked when Jeremy’s customer walked away.

Jeremy looked back down at his bag, hiding the smile that had pulled its way onto his face upon Robin appearing by pretending to organize what was left inside. “Uh, yeah, I guess so. Waverly’s always scolding me because she doesn’t like me doing other people’s work, but I’m not doing anyone’s homework or giving them test answers. I’m giving them study materials and uh, sorry, am I talking too much? I do that when I’m nervous.”

Robin shook his head. “I really like listenin’ to ya talk,” he said, smiling.

A blush creeped up Jeremy’s cheeks again and he let out a shaky breath. “Right back at you,” he mumbled awkwardly.

Robin shoved his hands into his pocked and nodded towards the exit. “I was thinkin’ about gettin’ some actual breakfast, vegan of course. Maybe, if ya’d wanna join me, we could just listen ta each other talk fer a while.”

Jeremy quickly threw his satchel strap over his shoulder, nodding. “I’d love to- like to. I'd really like to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aj here :  
> As some of you know, I'm Queef's older sister. I've been writing fanfiction since 2013ish and my writing hasn't improved lmao. Queef's the one that got me into this fandom so if for some reason you enjoy my writing, you've got Queef to blame for it coming to life. 
> 
> If you wanna read more of my work I've got all kinds of Jetri oneshots on my page along with fics and oneshots for all the other fandoms I'm apart of. I've got:  
> Harry Potter (George Weasley x OC chap fic, Remus Lupin x OC chap fic, Drarry and Wolfstar oneshots), Johnlock oneshots, and soon to be Supernatural (Destiel) oneshots.
> 
> Other than that, hope you enjoy this and feel free to leave Queef and I your thoughts.


	3. At Yer Service, Ma’am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WayHaught's first date!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's WayHaught's perspective of this day!  
> Enjoy!

**Wednesday, October 6th, 1993 6:21 AM**

“Waverly, calm _down_ ,” Chrissy said as the girl tore through her closet to try and find something to wear. 

“Well, I don’t wanna look like an _idiot_ ,” she huffed, pulling another shirt out and holding it in front of herself before shoving it to the end of her closet with a groan. 

Chrissy finally shot out of the desk chair after another minute. It was a bit after 6 in the morning and that was _way_ too damn early for her to be having this type of fit. “OK. I’LL PICK!” She shouted, pushing her out of the way with a heavy breath. 

“Chriss-”

“Shut it.” She pulled a blue and white striped long-sleeved shirt out and handed it to her. “Here.” She sorted through Waverly’s pants and grabbed a pair of light denim high-waisted jeans, shoving them at her when she turned around. “ _There_ . _Those_ pants make your ass look good and _that_ shirt hugs you in _all_ the right places. Look how hard that _wasn’t_!” 

Waverly let out a sigh as she held both up in front of herself in front of the mirror. “I don’t usually dress like this,” she mumbled. If she ever wore the shirt it was with a looser skirt, and if she wore the pants it was usually with a sweatshirt of some type. She _always_ found the balance.

“So? Maybe you can start. You’re a fucking _goddess_ , Wave. Show it off.”

“Why should I start showing myself off _right_ when I may possibly be, I don’t know yet, getting into a relationship?” She asked, turning around with a raised brow.

“ _Because_!” The blonde walked over and shook her shoulders. “You are trying to make every _fool_ who has labeled you as _nothing_ realize all of their mistakes. But unfortunately for them, you’re already gettin’ it from a bangin’ redheaded skyscraper!” 

“ _CHRISSY_!” 

“I’M JUST SAYING!” 

Despite how much she _hated_ what she had just said, there was a small voice in the back of her head that wanted to agree. She had never been _anyone_. And maybe it was time to show that she _could_ be someone. 

The brunette let out a groan as she walked over to her bed and laid her clothes down, stripping out of her pajamas. “Maybe you’re right.” 

“ _What_?!” Chrissy gasped.

Waverly looked towards her as she pulled the shirt on. “I said maybe you’re right,” she repeated a little louder. 

“You _agree_?!” Chrissy asked with a smile. 

“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?” She said with a little laugh as she danced into her pants, walking back over to the mirror to look herself over. She did a slow nod as she accepted that she looked _amazing_.

“Holy _shit_ , you agree! Ok!” Chrissy walked over and stood behind her, crossing her arms as she watched Waverly’s face with a smile. “See, you look _killer_.” 

“I do,” she smirked as she turned around, pressing a quick kiss to the blonde’s cheek as she passed her and moved into the bathroom, grabbing her hair dryer and blasting it at her still-damp hair from her shower earlier. “You’re the best, you know that, right?” Waverly said after she followed her into the bathroom and hopped up on the counter. 

“I know,” she grinned. Waverly threw her a look, so she wiped it right off her face. “I’m just really happy for you. You’ve never really done anything like this before, so I’m excited for where it’s gonna go.” 

“Hopefully _somewhere_ ,” she mumbled after shutting it off and taking a brush through her hair.

“It will. I’m sure of it.”

“You really think so?” She asked, moving her eyes to meet Chrissy’s. 

“I do, yea. Don’t you?” 

“I mean . . . I _hope_ it does. I think I really like her and it seems like she likes me, too, but I don’t want to get my hopes up too early, ya feel me?” 

“Yea. Still. If she hurts you, I _will_ single-handedly beat her to a pulp, I hope you know that,” the blonde informed her with a raise of her brows. 

“Oh, I know. Trust me.” She set her brush down and threw a little bit of make-up on before walking out of the bathroom and pulling her Converse on, looking herself over in the mirror once more, and pushing her hand through her hair a few times. “How do I look?” She asked, turning to face Chrissy.

“You look _great_.” She flicked her eyes to the clock on the nightstand. “Ok, you’ve got 15 minutes. Get going.” She grabbed Waverly’s backpack off the floor and shoved it at her. 

“Damn, you really wanna get rid of me that bad?” The brunette asked with a chuckle as she pulled it over her shoulders and moved towards the door.

“ _No_ , it’s just the faster you get there and get to the coffee place, the faster _I_ get to meet her.”

“Oh my God,” Waverly muttered, pulling the door open and stepping out. “ _G_ _oodbye_ , Chrissy.” 

“Bye, Wave,” she laughed. “Have fun.” 

“I will. _Please_ be nice, I’m _begging_ you.” 

“I’ll behave, I promise.” She gave her an encouraging push and Waverly gave her one last smile before making her way down the hall and to the staircase, going from the third to the first floor. She let out a nervous breath as she swung over to the east wing, heading down to Nicole’s dorm. 

She was allowed to be nervous. This _was_ her first date _ever_ after all. 

Arriving at her door, she bounced on her heels and tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach before she gave the door a knock. 

“It’s open!” She heard shouted from inside the dorm. 

Waverly smiled, pushing the door open and stepping inside, tracing her eyes around the inside to one, take her first look, and two, try and find the redhead. She took a few steps forward and turned her head, seeing Nicole leaning back against the sink in the bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth. 

“Hey,” she said with a little laugh. 

“Mornin,” Nicole said with a smile, pushing off the counter and turning around, leaning forward to rinse her mouth out. 

“I’m not too early, am I?” Waverly questioned, though it seemed the redhead was ready besides the fact that she only had socks on her feet and was brushing her teeth. She was dressed in a black and white striped shirt, some black jeans, and a blue jean jacket. 

The redhead stood up straight and reached out, gripping the door frame as she moved towards her. “Nah, T’s jus’ runnin’ a wee bit slow today, is all,” she sighed, wincing a little as she leaned more into the door frame, bending and unbending her right knee a few times.

The brunette’s brow furrowed as her eyes flicked down to it. “Are you ok?” 

Nicole quickly brushed her off, putting her foot back on the ground and moving out of the bathroom. “I’m grand, Love.” 

Waverly slowly followed her, obviously in heavy disagreement considering how much she was limping on that leg. “I really don’t think you’re too _grand_ , Nic.” 

“Waverly, trust me, I-” She let out a pained groan, leaning heavily into the wall. “ _Bloody ‘ell_ , alrigh’.” She looked down at Waverly as she grabbed onto her left arm. “Grab me crutches from o’er on dat wall, wouldja?” Waverly followed her finger, seeing the pair of forearm crutches leaning against the wall by her headboard. She let go of her arm and walked further into the room, setting her backpack down by the foot of her bed before grabbing them and bringing them back over. “Thanks,” Nicole mumbled, using them to get herself to her bed without having to put weight on her right leg. 

“Are you gonna tell me you’re fine again or are we past that?” Waverly asked, crossing her arms and staring down at her in worry. 

Nicole pursed her lips, looking down as she pressed her fingers into her knee. “I’ve got a damned gammy knee, Waves. Dere’s not much ya can do fer me,” she said, speaking softly, almost ashamed. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The sophomore asked, matching the quiet of Nicole’s voice.. 

The redhead sighed, pushing back up to her feet, and Waverly immediately stepped towards her and put her hands out, unsure of what her next move was. 

She really hadn’t expected her to unbutton and unzip jeans, pushing them down past her butt. She sat back down and Waverly stared down at her with wide eyes, but they only got wider when she pushed the denim down past her right knee. “Oh my God,” Waverly mumbled, slowly raising her eyes back up to meet Nicole’s. 

“Like I said, dere’s not much ya can do, Darlin’.” 

On either side of Nicole’s kneecap was a long, red surgical scar, and there was another going straight down the middle. There were also a few other meaner marks and scars scattered up and down her leg. It looked like someone had taken a knife or some other type of weapon to it, but she knew that wasn’t the case. 

“Well, I guess ya _can_ grab me dat pain cream off me nightstand dere,” she said with a little smile, nodding towards it. Waverly grabbed it and handed it to her, continuing to stare at her with that look in her eye the redhead hated. “Sit.” Nicole pat the bed beside her. “I don’t bite, I promise ya.” The brunette did so and Nicole angled her body towards her, taking her face in her hands. “Ya ain’t gotta keep lookin’ at me with dat puss on yer face, alrigh’? T’e las’ ting I want is fer ya ta feel sorry fer me.” 

“Why shouldn’t I?” She huffed. “It looks like someone went Texas Chainsaw Massacre on your fucking leg!”

The redhead dropped her hands, looking down at it with a little chuckle. “‘N it’s damned neat, innit?”

“No!” 

Nicole looked back towards her, giving her hand a squeeze as she rubbed the cream on her knee with the other. “Hey. It’s fine. I’m fine. I jus’ have good ‘n bad days ‘n . . . Today happens ta be one of t’e shite ones.” 

Waverly swallowed, running her thumb gently across Nicole’s hand. “I’m sorry.” 

She shook her head. “Stop dat, Love.” 

The brunette let out a sigh, keeping her eyes on her knee and subconsciously bringing her knuckles up to her lips and pressing a soft kiss to them. She raised her eyes back up to Nicole’s. “. . . Can I ask what happened?” 

Nicole’s jaw locked and she looked away from her as she stood and pulled her pants back up, sitting back down and moving to lean back against the wall. “I’m not one ta lie, I hope ya know dat,” she mumbled. Waverly furrowed her brow, moving to lean her head against the wall, but scooting closer to her in the process. “So when I tell ya it’s classified, ya have ta believe me.”

“ _Classified_?” She questioned. “Wh- why?” 

“If it’d be up ta me, it wouldn’t be. But it’s not, I’m afraid.” Nicole shrugged a little. “Any story dat ends inna total knee replacement and too many months of physical therapy is probably not one you’d wanna hear anyway.” 

Waverly moved close enough to her to lean her head on her shoulder, continuing to hold her hand in her lap. “Well whatever it was, I’m sorry.”

The redhead looked down at her with a huff. “Waverly, wouldja _quit_ sayin’ yer bloody sorry?” The brunette immediately sat up, letting go of her hand. Nicole sighed, moving it to squeeze her thigh in apology. “Look, all anyone’s been fer t’e past eight months is sorry. It sucks, but it’s part of me now, and sorry ain’t gonna change dat. I be more dan jus’ a gammy knee.” 

“I know you are.” She gave Nicole a little smile. “I know you’re _way_ more than that, Nic. It just . . . God, I _barely_ know you, but seeing you in pain _fucking_ hurts me.”

Nicole’s brows dipped sadly. “I’m sorry, Darlin’.”

“Oh, so you can say it, but I can’t?” She asked with a laugh.

“Feckin’ ‘ell,” the redhead sighed playfully, moving to sit up. “Let’s go get dat coffee, aye?” 

Waverly grabbed her, though, pulling her back to lean against the wall. “No, you’re not going anywhere. I’ll go pick it up and bring it back so you don’t have to walk.” 

Nicole shook her head. “Nah, I’m alrigh’-”

“No.” She raised her brows in warning. “You’re staying here. That’s final.” 

“Waverly, I’m not gonna let ya-”

“Damn right you are. _I’m_ not gonna let you do more walking than you need to.” 

Nicole put her hands out. “I’m _fine_.” 

“Quit, no you’re not. It’s gonna make me feel like an _asshole_ dragging you around!” 

“No. I promised ya a date, I’ll be damned if I ain’t gonna-”

“We can have it here, Nic! Please?” Waverly’s eyes were nothing but begging. 

Nicole firmly shook her head. “Dat’s not t’e same! Our first date’s _not_ gonna be in me fuckin’ _gaff_!” 

“It doesn’t _matter_ where it is as long as I’m with you!” Waverly said with a huff.

“Aye!” She retorted. “It does too matter! I’m no bloody-” 

The redhead was immediately cut off, but this time not with Waverly’s words. Instead, she had done the next best thing and pulled her into a rough kiss. Nicole let out a small groan before she kissed back, wrapping her fingers around her wrist. 

The smaller one pulled back after a few more moments, her mouth slightly agape as she stared Nicole in the eyes. 

“What in t’e _fuck_ was dat fer?” Nicole breathed out. 

“To shut you up,” Waverly shrugged with a cocky smile. “It worked.” 

Nicole gave her a crooked smile. “Does dat mean if I keep bein’ a gobshite about it, ye’ll do it again?” 

“I guess you’re gonna have to find out.” 

Nicole chuckled a little but raised her brows at her. “T’s gonna buy dat coffee fer ya if it’s t’e las’ ting I do, Waverly Earp.” 

Waverly shook her head with a sigh, bringing her hand up to cup her jaw. “We’ll see about that.” 

The redhead grinned as she leaned back in, softer this time as she met their lips. The gentleness didn’t last for long, though, because Nicole’s hands soon found her waist as they grew deeper and more intense. The redhead slid her hand down to the inside of her knee, grabbing it and pulling her to sit on her lap to rid them of the awkward angle they’d previously been at. Waverly pulled back, looking down at her with a giggle as she looped her arms around Nicole’s neck, pushing her hands into the back of her hair as Nicole smirked, tugging her head back down. 

The redhead had reached up and pulled Waverly’s glasses off at one point, probably not too long after she had been able to slip her tongue into the brunette’s mouth. She set them down next to her, sliding her hands from Waverly’s arms to her waist and then to her ass, a small moan coming out of her each time her hips pressed up into her stomach. She coaxed the brunette forward again, and she soon found a slow rhythm, though her main focus was still getting a feel for making out with someone. 

She was finding it hard to believe how _easy_ it was and how _gentle_ Nicole was being. Her only knowledge was from TV shows and movies, and what she always saw was gross, fast-paced lips smashing together and hands grabbing at everything. But she was quick to realize that it was just another case of not believing everything you see on TV. The redhead was slow and patient, _allowing_ her to get a feel for it. Her hands weren’t rough, more smooth-moving and melodic as they slowly and gently squeezed into her waist and even more so when she moved them to her ass and down the outside of her thighs. Nicole wasn’t trying to move things any further because they _both_ were enjoying what was happening where they were now. 

Waverly moved her hands to Nicole’s neck, tipping her head up as she sunk further into her lap. Her thumbs slid up and down the bottom of her jaw as one of Nicole’s slipped under the hem of her shirt, rubbing patterns into the skin on her waist.

The door to Nicole’s dorm opened suddenly, and Nicole was quick to pull back, snapping her head into that direction. 

“ _Christ_ , Nic!” The brunet man shouted, covering his eyes with one hand. 

“Oh my God,” Waverly mumbled, hugging her arms around Nicole’s neck and dropping her face to her shoulder in hopes that it would make her disappear. 

“Have ya any _fuckin’_ decency ta _knock_ , Robin?! _Jaysus_!” The redhead shouted as a blush burned on every inch of her face.

“It’s me _fuckin’_ gaff, too, Mate! I didn’t tink ya’d be in ‘ere _shiftin’_!” He argued back as he walked further into the room, avoiding eye contact with the girls. Waverly grabbed her glasses and pushed them on her face as she rolled off Nicole’s lap to sit beside her with her knees to her chest. “Ya told me ya were gonna be out, anyway!” 

Nicole looked to the brunette next to her, raising her brows. “Ya, we _would_ be, but _someone_ won’t let me leave.” 

Waverly threw her arms out. “You could barely walk from the _bathroom_ to your _bed_ on your own. How are you gonna make it to the coffee shop?!” 

Nicole pursed her lips at her, and looked to her roommate as he sat on his bed across from her after hanging his apron up. “Dat bad today, Corporal?” He asked, voice softer than it had been. 

“Oh, _great_. Now it’s t’e both of ya’s!” She let her head fall back against the wall with a groan. 

“What? Am I _not_ allowed ta care ‘bout ya?” Robin argued.

The redhead threw him a look. “I never said dat.” 

“ _Well_!” 

She sighed, moving to get off the bed. “Well, I’m mighty glad ya care, but I’m fine.” 

“ _No_ ,” Robin and Waverly both groaned together. 

“Yer not goin’ anywhere right dis second, Nic. Plain and simple.” He pushed off his bed and moved over to his closet, pulling a brown cardigan out and slipping it on over his t-shirt. “Here’s what’s gonna happen. Me and yer, uh . . .”

“Waverly,” she said with a bashful smile to introduce herself.

“ _Waverly_. We’re gonna head ta T’e Muffin Man and get yer coffees cause I need ta run back dere before class anyway.” 

Waverly smirked, pushing off the bed. “That’s _exactly_ what’s gonna happen.” 

Nicole let out a whine. “ _Waverly_ , c’mon-”

“ _No_.” 

The redhead let out a heavy sigh, _finally_ admitting her defeat. “ _Alrigh_ ’. But yer takin’ me money ta buy it. Deal?” She said, pulling her wallet out of her back pocket.

The brunette smiled with a nod, taking the $5 bill she handed her. “Deal. What d’you want?” 

“Just black’d be grand,” she answered with a smile. 

Waverly’s face scrunched up in disgust. “You drink _black coffee_?” 

Nicole raised her brows. “I do. Dere a problem with dat?”

She quickly shook her head, pushing the money into her back pocket. “No, not at all. I mean, it’s gross and boring, but that’s on you, not me.” 

“It’s t’e only gross and borin’ ting ‘bout me, Love,” the redhead smirked. 

“Oh, I bet.”

“ _Ew_ ,” Robin groaned at the two as he walked back over towards them. “I jus’ walked in on ya eatin’ face, don’t need ta hear ya bein’ all ooey gooey with each other either.” 

Nicole threw him a glare as a blush rose on the brunette’s cheeks. Waverly stepped towards the redhead and leaned forward with her hands pushed into the mattress on either sides of her legs, smiling as she pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “If you get off this bed, I _personally_ . . . will be _very_ sad.”

Nicole gave her an assuring smile. “Den I guess I be stayin’ righ’ ‘ere.” 

“Yes, you will.” Waverly said assertively as she stood up straight and moved towards the door.

When Waverly had turned her back, Robin quickly handed Nicole the last half of his blunt from earlier with a wink before following the brunette out of their dorm. 

She looked towards him with a little smile. “It’s, uh, nice meeting you, Robin.” 

“Ya,” he said with a little chuckle. “You, as well.” He reached up and scratched the back of his neck. “Jus’ so ya know, I truly didn’t mean ta barge in on ya both like dat.” 

“I know,” she assured with a laugh. “So, did you two know each other _before_ you transferred over, or . . .”

“We did, yea. We been best buds since we were in primary school,” Robin said. “I came over at t’e start o’ t’e semester, t’ough. Her PT took a wee bit longer dan planned.” 

Waverly gave a long nod as they left the building to head across campus to the coffee place. “Gotcha.” 

Robin glanced towards her. “How . . . much did she tell ya?” 

Waverly shrugged, “Not much. She just showed me all the scars on her leg and said it was classi-”

The man stopped, turning towards her with a tight furrow in his brow. “Wait, she _showed_ ya?” He asked, almost in disbelief.

“Yea,” she mumbled, having stopped when he did.

He blinked at her for a moment. “Waverly, she doesn’t show _anyone_ her scars.”

“She doesn’t?”

Robin quickly shook his head. “Nah. Never . . .” He ran a hand down his face before turning and walking again. “Alrigh’, look. Nic’s a _fiercely_ private person. I’ve known her me whole _life_ ‘n sometimes she don’t tell _me_ tings. So t’e fact dat she showed ya her _knee_ . . .” He shook his head again as he trailed off. “Dere’s gonna be times where she’ll try ta push ya away, but ya _have_ ta promise me ya won’t let her.” 

“Robin . . . I-” 

“She showed ya her _knee_ , Waverly. Dere’s something mighty special about ya apparently, so _promise me_.”

She pulled the door to the coffee shop open, and let out a shaky sigh. “Ok. I promise.”

Robin smiled and squeezed her arm as they made their way up to the counter. “Thank ya.” 

Waverly gave him a little smile before looking at the barista in front of her. “Hey, Rosie,” she smiled. 

“Hey, Waves. What can I getcha?” 

“Uhh . . .” She looked over the coffee menu for a moment.

“Robin, what the hell are you doing?” Rosita asked, watching as he went through the completed order’s receipts from the receipt spike.

“Nothin’,” he mumbled, pulling one off and reading it over with a smile before putting it back, along with the rest that he’d pulled off with it.

“Ok,” Waverly started after tearing her eyes away from the baked goods side of the menu. “Can I just get a large black coffee and an iced soy latte with one shot of vanilla and one shot of caramel?” She pulled the $5 out of her pocket and handed it to her.

“You can.” Rosita quickly grabbed her change and handed it back to her. 

“Thanks, Girl.” 

Waverly moved out of the way as Robin stepped up. “Can I getta large iced coffee with t’ree shots o’ expresso and a dash o’ almond milk, please?” 

She wrote it down, narrowing her eyes at him. “What are you up to? You’re being sketchy.” 

He shrugged with a smile as he dug some cash out of his wallet. “Dunno.” 

“Mmk,” she mumbled, handing him his change.

“Cheers, Rosie Roo,” he said as she turned and got to making their drinks. 

“Oh my _God_ , what happened?!” 

They both turned their heads and Waverly rolled her eyes as Chrissy walked over after entering the bakery. “ _Nothing_ , Chris. She’s in her dorm.” 

“Why?”

“Cause she is,” Waverly shrugged. She looked to Robin with a smile of apology before pressing her hand against Chrissy’s chest and backing her up a few steps. “Her leg’s hurting, so I told her I’d bring it to her.” 

“Why? What’s wrong with it?” She asked with a furrowed brow.

The brunette shook her head. “I’ll explain later, but . . .” She turned her head, watching as Rosita placed all the drinks on the counter in front of Robin. She looked back to her best friend with a stupid smile on her face. “Y’know how I said that kissing her on our first date would be way too soon?”

“Yes . . .”

“Turns out kissing her _before_ the _start_ of your first date is ok, though.”

The blonde’s eyes shot straight out of her head as her mouth dropped open, and she shoved Waverly back a step. “No you didn’t!” 

Robin leaned back to look at her from his position at the counter. “She did 'n it was feckin’ _nasty_.” 

Chrissy looked towards him with the same wide eyes, pointing at him as she looked back at Waverly. “Her roommate. Who _kinda_ walked in.” 

Robin walked over with all three coffees in his hands, handing her the two she had bought. “She was on’er lap. Nic’s hands were on’er ass. It was a whole ting,” he sighed. 

They walked out of The Muffin Man while Chrissy tried to process all of what he had just said, Waverly’s face burning with a blush as she shot Robin a glare. 

“Right, well I’ll see t’e both of ya’s later. I’ve gotta be somewhere.” 

“Bye, Robin,” Waverly said, and he gave them one last smile before heading off towards the math building. 

Chrissy waited until he was out of earshot to grab onto Waverly’s arm and start jumping up and down. “OHMYGOD, OHMYGOD, OHMYG-, I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU-”

“ _CHRISSY_!” She widened her eyes at her in warning. “The whole _fucking_ campus doesn’t need to know! _Jeez_!” 

“ _Sorry_ ,” she whispered with a wince. 

“ _Yes,_ it was amazing. _Yes_ , everything he said happened. And _yes,_ I started it. I will tell you more _later_ , but I need to get back before she thinks I got lost or kidnapped or something.” 

Chissy let out a small groan. “Ok, _fine_ . Have fun, drink coffee, _maybe_ get laid-”

“ _Chrissy_!”

“Ok, I’m going! Bye!”

The blonde was quick to turn with a wave to get away from Waverly’s glare. She let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head as she made her way back to Nicole’s dorm.

Waverly switched hands that the coffees were in, putting them both in one so she could open the door. She walked in and shut it with her foot, turning to see that Nicole was in the _exact_ spot she had left her in. “Hey,” she said with a smile as she plopped back onto her bed, handing her the black coffee. 

“Long time no see,” Nicole said with a smirk, turning and leaning partially on her footboard so she faced Waverly as she took a drink. 

“Sorry. We ran into my roommate. She had . . .” She let out a heavy sigh. “ _Questions_.” 

Nicole did a long nod. “Ah, gotcha.”

“I’m sorry in advance when you meet her. She has absolutely _no_ filter,” the brunette mumbled as she pushed her straw around in her mouth. 

“Maybe I can use dat ta me advantage den. Get some dirt on ya?” 

Waverly’s eyes widened. “Oh _God_ , please don’t. We’ve been best friends since pre-school, she knows everything there is to know about me.”

Nicole chuckled, bumping her leg with her foot. “Even more of a reason den.”

She let out a small groan but furrowed her brows at her. “How come you’re all smiley now?”

Nicole’s brows raised, but it was clear that the brunette was unaware that she now had a partial buzz going. She simply shrugged. “Dere’s a pretty girl sittin’ in front of me. Am I not allowed ta be happy ‘bout it?”

Waverly blushed red and shook her head. “Alright, Smooth Talker. Tell me something about you.” 

“Hmm . . .” She thought about it for a second. “Well, I grew up inna house in t’e woods a bit north of Dublin cause me parents were hunters ‘n owned a meat company.” 

“Ew,” Waverly mumbled. 

She raised her brows with a sigh and a nod, taking a drink. “Dats why I’m a vegetarian now.” She shivered a little at the memories of having worked there her whole life. 

“Are you?” Waverly asked with a smile. “I’m vegan.”

“Ah, nice . . . So where’d ya come up?” 

“In a little town about an hour away called Purgatory,” she said with a smile. 

“ _Purgatory_?” Nicole questioned in disbelief. 

“Yep. All lies, though. It was hell.” 

Nicole’s brow saddened. “I’m sorry ‘bout dat, Love.” 

She shrugged, brushing it off. “It’s ok. So. Do you have a big family?” 

The redhead laughed a little. “Is seven siblings considered a big family?”

Waverly almost spit her coffee out. “ _Seven_!?” 

She nodded with a chuckle. “I’m t’e oldest at 20. Noah’ll be 20 at t’e _very_ end of December. Shitehead damn near took me birthday. His is t’e 30th ‘n mine be t’e 5th o’ January.” Waverly laughed at that. “Nate’s 18. Niall’ll be 15 next month. Nolan jus’ turned 13. Blue’s 11.”

“Blue?” Waverly questioned as she intently listened. She had definitely caught onto the pattern and ‘Blue’ didn’t really fit it. 

“Nelson really,” Nicole smirked. “But he be t’e only with mighty blue eyes. Rest o’ us got shite brown.” 

Waverly let out a huff, scooting closer to her and taking her face in her hands to look at her eyes close up. “Your eyes aren’t _brown_.” 

“Ya dey are,” the redhead laughed. 

“No. They’re, like, a really pretty amber,” she mumbled.

“Dat’s brown, innit?” Nicole asked with a crooked smile.

She pouted, “ _No_.” 

“Alrigh’, Love. If ya say so.” 

Waverly giggled, leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth before sitting back. “Ok. Continue. Blue’s 11.” 

“Right. He’s 11. Nigel’s 9. And Naomi’s t’e baby at 6.” 

“Eight of you? That’s a lotta kids,” Waverly mumbled. “Your poor mother.” 

Nicole let out a bark of laughter. “It’s dem Catholics, man. Dey just keep poppin’ ‘em out.” 

“How many are redheaded?” The brunette asked with a smirk. 

“Only Noah and Nate aren’t. Both blonde,” she answered. “If ya tink I’m cute, ya should see me baby sister. She’s me mini-me.” 

“Really?” Waverly asked with a soft smile. 

Nicole nodded, taking another drink of her coffee. “What’s yer family like den?” 

“Well, _I’m_ the baby out of three. Willa’s 27 and Wynonna’s 25.”

“Ah, both our family’s like t’e name patterns, aye?” 

Waverly laughed, “Seems so.” She leaned her shoulder against the wall. “My . . . Dad was the Sheriff. He died in a hunting accident when I was nine, though.” 

The junior grabbed her hand. “I’m so sorry, Dear.”

Waverly shook her head. “No, it’s ok. He was an asshole anyway.” Nicole read her eyes, hating how they translated what the underlying meaning was in that statement. She gave her hand a squeeze with a nod, letting her continue. “My mom’s my best friend. The only reason I go home these days, actually. Willa . . . Well, she was Daddy’s favorite, so you can assume how much we get along. She’s married to some jackass named _Bobo_ , and they have a two year old. I met Bobby once and that was right after he was born, so.” She took a drink with a roll of her eyes. “And then Wynonna . . . She’s been a mess since she, ya know, accidentally shot our dad.” 

“Bloody ‘ell,” Nicole mumbled. 

“She was in and out of juvie until 18, and then she was off on her own. I haven’t seen her since . . . God, when I graduated high school? I get a call every once in a while, but last I heard, she was in Greece.” 

“That’s one _feckin’_ life, Waverly Earp.” 

“I like to think so, yea.” 

“Well den.” Nicole took a drink, clearing her throat. “So. What’s yer major?” 

“History,” she answered. “I wanna run a museum someday.”

“Really? Dat’s really neat.”

“You think so?” Waverly mumbled, feeling a small blush creep onto her cheeks. 

“I do,” Nicole nodded with a grin. 

The brunette smiled. “What about you?” 

“Well, I’m majoring in Psychology, but I’m gonna be a lawyer.” 

“Oh my God, I can _so_ see that,” Waverly said with a little clap. 

This time, Nicole was the one blushing. “Can ya?” 

“Yes! You in a suit, looking all fancy.” 

She smirked, setting her cup down on the floor and taking Waverly’s out of her hand to do the same before grabbing her legs and pulling her to the middle of the bed. She pushed her back and dropped in between her knees to hover over her face, cocking her right one to the side to keep the weight off it. “Me inna suit, aye?” She asked, voice lower than it had been.

Waverly bit her lip, eyes wide as she looked up at her. “Mhm. What would they call you? Ms. . . .?”

“Haught,” she answered with a grin. 

She let out a snort. “Funny.” 

Nicole raised her brows, shaking her head. “Nah, I ain’t coddin’ ya. That’s me real last name.”

Her brows shot up. “ _Hot_?” 

“H-a-u-g-h-t, Love,” she chuckled. 

She blinked at her for a few seconds, but let out a breathy laugh. “Nicole Haught?”

“At yer service, Ma’am.” 

Waverly moved her hands up and cupped them around Nicole’s neck and pulled her down to meet her lips. “Good to know.” 

**8:57 AM**

After detangling themselves from one another, Waverly had walked Nicole to her Philosophy class before heading to Calculus and getting _exposed_ by Jeremy afterward. She was now off to the social studies building to aid for her favorite teacher. This was one of her favorite times of the day and _not_ just because it was a history class, but because the teacher was one of the _smartest_ , _most informed_ men she had _ever_ met. She could ask him any question and it was almost guaranteed that he would have the answer for it. 

She pulled the door open and walked in, finishing up the last of her coffee from earlier and dropping it in the trash can she passed. 

“Why, good mornin’, Ms. Earp!” The professor greeted from halfway across the lecture hall. 

She gave him a beaming smile. “Morning, Dr. Holliday!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at those gays, Man.  
> Thanks for reading!!!!!


	4. I Be Jus’ a Gentle Giant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple breakfast... date? Possibly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aj here -  
> Just so everyone knows, Queef and I really appreciate all your input and we are sticking to this format. Hope you continue to enjoy the story :)

** Wednesday, October 6th, 1993 9:02 AM **

“I like yer satchel,” Robin said while they walked, shoving his hands into his pocket.

“Thanks,” Jeremy mumbled awkwardly, glancing at the similar looking satchel that Robin was carrying. “I like yours, too.”

Robin looked down at his old bag and smiled a little. “Me mam made it fer me when I was goin’ into secondary school. Been carryin’ ‘round with me ever since.”

“Awe that’s sweet,” Jeremy said, copying Robin’s smile. “I got mine at a thrift store that my friends go to every weekend. Way less sentimental. Also, way more stained when I got it.” 

Robin chuckled. “Dat’s kinda good, t’ough. Did ya thrift t’e pins too?”

Jeremy ran his finger across the rows of enamel pins he’d covered the straps and pockets of the bag with. “Most of them came from craft fairs, actually… which sounds so lame.” 

“Nah it don’t,” Robin assured, bumping Jeremy’s arm with his. “Yer all nervous again, Shorty.”

“Yeah, I do that,” he mumbled, looking down at his row of bracelets as he spun them around his wrist. 

Robin’s lips twitched up in a smirk. “Do I make ya nervous.”

“Well, I mean, it happens a lot more when I’m around a really attractive man… so, I really shouldn’t have said that.”

Robin raised a brow at him. “So ya are gay, den?”

“Actually, I’ve got anxiety.” 

Robin’s eyes widened and he moved over a tad bit to try and create a reasonable amount of space between them. “Oh, I-”

“I’m just kidding,” Jeremy said, shooting Robin a smile. “I’m gay, too.”

Robin let out a heavy breath and shook his head. “ _ Jaysus _ . Ya scared me dere for a second, Shorty.”

“You scare me a little in general.”

“Aw, don’t be scared o’ me. I be jus’ a gentle giant, I swear it,” Robin smiled, closing the gap between them once again. “Here we are.” 

They stopped in front of the campus diner and Robin pulled the door open for him. “Oh, thank you,” Jeremy mumbled, feeling the blush creep up his cheeks as he passed him to enter the building. 

“Y’all can sit wherever you’d like,” a waitress said from behind the main counter. 

Robin flashed her a smile and led Jeremy towards a booth in the back corner. They threw their bags into the inside of the seats and sat across from each other. 

“So. Tell me, Shorty,” Robin started, leaning both of his elbows against the table.

“Tell you what?” Jeremy asked.

The waitress approached their table, setting down menus in front of each other them and pulling out a notepad before Robin could answer. “Can I start you boys out with something to drink?” 

“Water,” Jeremy answered with a friendly smile.

Robin nodded. “I’ll take t’e same.”

The waitress clicked her pen after jotting it down. “Alright. I’ll have those out for ya in jiff.” They both thanked her as she turned away to attend to another group.

“I don’t think I could ever get tired of your smile,” Jeremy sighed, propping his elbows up on the table and leaning his chin on his hands. “Is that weird?”

"Nah," Robin said, smiling just a little bit more. “I tink yer sweet.”

“I think I'm just truthful," Jeremy admitted. "Sometimes to a fault at times, but I pride myself on always being honest.”

The waitress arrived with their drinks and they both ordered plates of hashbrowns and plant based waffles, Robin with a side of sausage links. 

“Dat mean I can ask ya anythin’ ‘n you’ll tell me t’e truth?” Robin questioned when the waitress had left.

Jeremy thought for a second, taking a sip of his drink. “I suppose it does, yeah. I will have to request that I get a few free passes… Just in case.”

“I can respect dat,” Robin said with a smirk. “We all have our tings.”

“Some more than others,” Jeremy muttered, looking away for a moment. “Well, I guess I’m open to any and all questions you want to ask.” 

Robin opened his straw and blew the paper at him, nailing him in the forehead. “What’re ya majoring in?”

Jeremy shot him a look, balling it up and throwing it back at him. “Chemistry, minoring in astronomy,” he answered.

“I’m also minoring in astronomy,” Robin said in surprise. “Majorin’ in jazz history, t’ough.”

“That makes a lot of sense, actually…"

"What's dat 'sposed ta mean, den?" Robin asked, crossing his arms, faux annoyance on his face. "Tink I ain't smart enough ta major in someting else?"

Jeremy snorted a laugh. "Considering people who are proficient in music typically have naturally higher IQs, that's not what I'm saying at all. I'm just saying that I can definitely see you being more into the arts rather than a science."

"What gives it away?"

"You're not dead behind the eyes like most of the people I know that spend all their days staring into a microscope or memorizing dates. You've actually got a creative eye, I think."

Robin's lips turned up in a soft smile. "Ya know, most people tink what I'm doin' ain't worth t'e time I put into it, so hearin' ya say dat makes me feel a wee bit better 'bout it."

"Your passions are always worth the time you're willing to put into them," Jeremy told him, leaning back in his seat. "So, I assume you play an instrument, then?”

“All t’e saxophones, mainly alto, but I prefer tenor,” Robin said, taking another drink as the waitress appeared again with plates stacked on her arms.

“Hashbrowns and pant waffles with a side of sausage links and another hashbrown with plant based waffles and a glass of orange juice. Can I get you two anything else?” she asked, placing the plates in front of them.

“I tink we’re good ‘ere, Love. T’ank ya lots,” Robin grinned, making Jeremy smile as well. Once she'd left, he turned back to Jeremy with a raised eyebrow. “Tell me, why’d you choose chemistry of all tings?”

“I’ve always loved science,” Jeremy admitted with a shrug. “I was never into sports or anything like that. All my trophies in school came from science fairs and academic honors.”

“Yer a real smarty pants, aren’t ya?” Robin teased. “All high marks ‘n AP classes, I bet. Which year didja skip?”

Jeremy nearly choked from laughing. “How’d you know I skipped a year?”

“Look at yerself, mate! Most sophomores are almost twenty now, ‘n ya look like ya could still be illegal!” Robin laughed so hard it almost sent him choking on his waffle. His eyes scanned over the look on Jeremy's face and his laughing abruptly stopped. “Wait. Yer not underage, are ya?” he asked with sudden nervousness. 

Jeremy quickly shook his head. “I skipped grade two. I’m almost nineteen.”

Robin pressed a hand to his heart in relief. “Thank _Jaysus_. Dat wouldda been a real bummer.” 

“How old are you, then?” Jeremy questioned.

“Unlike _you,_ I was actually held back in primary school, so I’m freshly twenty-one,” Robin said with a little embarrassment since he was apparently sitting in front of an obvious genius.

Jeremy didn’t seem to mind, though, because his eyes were more focused on Robin’s plate. “You know that sausage isn’t ethically sourced, right? It’s probably packed full of preservatives and GMOs. They'll kill all the good bacteria in your organs and it make it so you can't digest things.”

Robin looked down at his plate and the cuts of greasy sausage. “Good to know,” he cringed, plucking the sausage from his plate and dropping it onto his napkin, covering it with another to keep it out of sight. “I feel like I won’t be eatin’ much meat when yer around.”

Jeremy couldn’t help but smile at that. “I’ll take that as a win, if I’m being honest.”

“So, when’d ya decide to become vegan?” Robin asked. 

The smile slipped off Jeremy’s face and he began to absently pick at his waffle. “It’s a long story.” 

Robin took Jeremy’s wrist and turned it to look at his watch. “Well, we’ve got about forty minutes before 10 a.m. classes unless ya want ta use one o’ yer passes?” 

Jeremy didn’t immediately pull his hand away when Robin let go of his wrist. He paused, feeling the calluses on his palms and fingers and noticing that his hand was practically dwarfed next to Robin’s.

“I just think that you’ll get better information asking some different questions,” Jeremy sighed, finally pulling his hand away and grabbing his fork for more hashbrowns. He looked up just in time to notice that Robin had been looking at their hands, too. “Statistically speaking, I mean.” 

“Oh? We’re getting all sciencey, are we?” Robin asked with a grin. "Wanna list me off some elements while yer at it?" 

“Just ask your damn questions!” Jeremy huffed, throwing a piece of syrup covered waffle at Robin’s face.

Robin cocked his head to the side, looking at Jeremy with an amused smirk on his face. “Yer a feisty one, ya know dat?” 

“I’ve been told,” Jeremy said, grinning.

Robin raised his brows for a moment. “Alrighty then. Tell me about yer family.” 

“Right back at it again with the hard hitting question,” Jeremy groaned, stretching out his legs under the booth.

Robin shook his head, bumping Jeremy’s legs with his. “Ya don’t get more leg room dan me, Shorty. Notta chance.” He pulled his legs up and rested them on Jeremy’s lap. “Dat’s betta.” Jeremy looked at Robin’s combat boots and rolled his eyes, a playful annoyance on his face. “Family,” Robin reminded him. “Big, small? Tell me ‘bout ‘em.”

“I don’t really have a family... not here anyway,” Jeremy explained slowly, pursing his lips. “I’m sure I’ve got the biggest family imaginable back in India, but here it’s all gone.”

“Were ya born in India?” Robin asked softly, becoming aware that this wasn’t an easy topic for him.

“No, my mom got pregnant in India and her husband, well, he wasn’t happy about it because they’d never had sex," he explained, pushing his waffles around his plate. "Her husband said he was going to kill her, so she ran. After traveling for a few weeks, she ended up in a women’s shelter here in Calgary."

“That’s bloody awful,” Robin said sadly, taking Jeremy’s hand over the table again.

“My mom gave birth to me here and then got a job while the staff at the women’s home took care of me during the day. Eventually she was able to get us an apartment on the good side of town.” Jeremy smiled a little at the memories. “Got me into school, kept her job, and made enough for us to live and then some.”

Robin listened intently, picking up on a sudden switch in Jeremy's emotions. “Did somethin’ happen ta her?” He asked cautiously.

“Car accident,” Jeremy mumbled, one of his hands trailing into his lap and his face flashing with pain. “I sat in the car with her body for three days until someone found us.”

“Ya don’t have ta talk ‘bout dis if ya don’t wanna, Jer.” 

“It’s alright,” Jeremy told him, forcing a smile. “It happened when I was eleven, so I’ve had time to adjust, I guess.”

He nodded. “If it happened when ya were eleven and ya have no other family ‘ere, whereja go?” 

“Boys’ home on the other side of the city. About five minutes from campus.”

“What was dat like?” Robin questioned.

Jeremy shrugged and shoved a few more bites of waffle into his mouth. “About as horrific as you can imagine. Probably worse for me since I was a nerd and the rest of the boys were delinquents… I made it, thought. Nothing better than that, I suppose.”

Robin smiled and rubbed Jeremy’s hand with his thumb. “I, fer one, am so very glad fer dat.”

“What about you?” Jeremy asked, changing the subject. “You got a family?” 

“Just me pop and I. Mam died of pneumonia at t'e beginnin’ o' me secondary school years." Robin pat the satchel next to him as he spoke. "And me older brother, Reggie, well, he got blown ta bits in t’e military when I was jus' 'bout to graduate. Pops took it pretty hard, told me not ta serve like I was planning to, but I knew dere was no way I’d be able to pay fer a university witout it.”

“ _Y_ _ou_ were in the military?” Jeremy asked, raising his eyebrow and looked Robin up and down.

Robin nudged Jeremy with his foot, pretending to be upset. “Dat’s bloody rude right dere, Shorty. I could have ya pinned ta dis table in under a second.” Jeremy swallowed hard at this, his eyes wide in shock. Robin smiled with satisfaction and continued to talk as though nothing had happened. “I got t’rough most of me basic training and den, well, as dey say, shite happens.” 

“What kind of shit?”

“Training officer suspended me on a drug charge. Cocaine or somethin’ in one of me boots.” He frowned and leaned back in his seat and crossing his arms. “And I see dat look you’re givin’ me. I ain’t never done cocaine or anythin’ worse’n pot in me whole life. I was framed.”

Jeremy mimicked his frowned. “Why would someone frame you?”

“Got caught shaggin’ up with me bunkmate one night and some homophobic arsehole didn’t want me around anymore,” he explained. And, oddly enough, he laughed as well. “I already told you, don’t ya go feelin’ sorry for me, Shorty. I had it coming. Dey say don’t ask, don't tell for a reason.” 

“Homophobia is overrated,” Jeremy sighed, finishing off his hashbrowns and waffle.

“All us gays will have to agree with ya dere,” Robin said. “But, long story short, I made so much money dealin’ pot on t’e trainin’ base dat I was able to pay fer me second year at t’e University o’ Dublin after finishin’ me first year with some o’ t’ose newfangled online classes durin’ training.” 

“That still doesn’t answer why you’re here.” 

“Foreign exchange scholarship dat I won fer a piece o’ music I wrote. Nicole was pretty well off when it came ta t’e money so she jus’ joined in with it when she got done with-” he paused. “Some personal t’ings she had goin’ on.”

“So you and Nicole have been friends for quite some time then?” Jeremy asked. “I mean, most people don’t just pack up and move to another country to go to university with someone they hardly know.”

“Ya could say dat,” Robin agreed, shoveling hashbrowns into his mouth as well. “Damn, I love potatoes. Feck!”

Jeremy chuckled, “Are you having a potato induced orgasm?”

Robin nodded with a small grin. “It’s t’e only kind I’ve had in awhile, Mate. Not self induced, at least.”

“Y’all ready for the check?” the waitress asked when she approached their table. Robin nodded, a very proud look on his face while Jeremy sat, stunned that he'd said that without the slightest break of hesitation. She smiled at them both and set the check down on the table, walking away as Robin shot him a smirk.

“Why are you so smug?” Jeremy questioned, finally pulling out of his shocked state and narrowing his eyes at Robin's shit-eating grin.

Robin looked back at the check. “She gave it ta me.”

“So?” Jeremy shrugged. 

Robin pulled his legs off Jeremy’s lap, much to Jeremy’s dismay, and leaned across the table. “She tinks I’m t’e top, Shorty.”

Jeremy’s face burned hot as Robin grabbed his things and brought the check up to the cash register to pay. He dropped a couple one dollar bills on the table for a tip and followed Robin as he finished up.

“T’ank ya so much,” he said to the waitress, flashing her another smile before walking out of the diner. 

“If you’re not careful, she’ll think you’re flirting with her,” Jeremy warned when they got back onto the sidewalk. 

“Who says I’m not?” Robin teased, bumping his arm.

“The homosexual agenda,” Jeremy said after a moment of thought. 

Robin hummed, nodding in agreement. “I suppose dat’s fair.”

“What’s your next class?” Jeremy asked, checking his watch.

Robin paused for a moment. “Jazz history… no private lesson- nah it’s music theory. Music theory.”

“Are you sure about that?” Jeremy chuckled.

“Now yer making me question myself,” Robin mumbled, thinking about it once more. “I’m about 78% sure. Either way, dey’re all in t’e same building so I’ll be well off. What 'bout ya, Shorty? What kind o’ crazy science class are ya headin’ ta.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Indian History, actually.” 

Robin looked at him in confusion. “But… yer Indian.”

“We can always gain to learn more about where we come from," Jeremy said, looking up at him. 

“Didja know dat ya bite yer lip when yer nervous?” Robin asked, glancing down to his lips. “Ya don’t bite yer lip when ya talk 'bout tings ya’re passionate 'bout, t'ough.” Jeremy paused, unsure of what to say. Robin stopped too, grinning at Jeremy’s uncertainty and grabbing his wrist to check his watch once more. “Close ta 10 'n yer on t’e other side o’ campus.” 

“Uh, yeah, I guess you’re right,” Jeremy sighed, giving him a small smile. “I’ll see you around, I guess.” 

Robin nodded, glancing around the street while still holding onto his wrist. Slowly, his hand moved to hold Jeremy’s, the callus of his thumb running across Jeremy’s fingers. “I do hope so,” he told him, bringing his hand to his lips and kissing it gently. “Bya, Shorty.” Robin pulled away from him, despite the fact that Jeremy hadn't said anything due to the pure shock and walked inside the closest building, winking at him before the door closed behind him. 

Jeremy looked around, meeting eyes with someone who was sitting on a bench on the other side of the street. His heart felt like it was in his throat from the fear he was feeling until the person waved at him, hopping off the bench. “Hi, Jer!” he called, waving. 

“Hi, Fish,” Jeremy called back nervously. He pressed a hand to his heart, trying to get it to calm down while Fish pulled his backpack on and ran across the street to meet with Jeremy.

“Who was that?” he questioned with a noticeable grin.

“Uh… No one,” Jeremy lied, adjusting his satchel on his shoulder as they walked.

"Jeremy," Fish said, shooting him a knowing look. "Who was that?" 

Jeremy let a small grin pull at his lips as they walked. "A guy." 

"No shit, I could see that much," Fish grumbled, shoving his arm. "He walked into the music building, Jer. I can just ask Levi about the tall guy with the cardigan is and he'll know who I'm talking about. It's better if you just tell me now." 

"It's nothing, Fish," Jeremy groaned. "I don't even know him."

"He kissed your hand."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "That means nothing."

"Does it? Does it mean nothing to you?" he teased. "Or did it make your heart really excited because you haven't interacted like that with a male being in over a year?" 

"It was really sweet and it made me so happy and if you don't shut up I'm going to push you into the road when there's a car coming."

Fish put up his hands in defense. "I'm sorry! Just... what's his name?"

Jeremy shot him an annoyed look, but the smile trying to work it's way onto his face was undeniable. "Robin..." 

"The foreign exchange kid?" Fish almost yelled. "Levi was telling me about him at the beginning of the semester. He said he's super sweet, but also definitely smokes a lot of weed."

"Never wouldda guessed," Jeremy snorted. "Can we be done with this conversation, please?" 

Fish frowned at him. "I guess... just for now, though. You're giving me all the details of your little date at the diner later though."

"You're the worst," Jeremy told him. 

"I try."

“So, where’re you heading?” 

Fish sighed, “Physics. My worst subject. I should have-”

"Should have taken something easier. Yeah, you tell me that every time you're about to ask me to tutor you. 

“Would you do that for me?” Fish asked excitedly. “That'd be super nice of you." 

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Meet me in the libaray at four and if you're late by more than three minutes-" 

"You're leaving, I know," Fish groaned, walking up the steps of the science building. “Oh, and Jeremy?” Fish called before he could walk away. Jeremy looked up to meet Fish’s smirk. “Please, for the love of every guy as tall, beautiful, and forging as Robin, keep him around. In all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you so happy, yet so caught off guard.”

Jeremy shook his head with a sigh. “Whatever you say, Fish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I were to write a short Fish/Levi fic set when they originally met and fell in love, would anyone read it? I think it's a cute story idea, but I feel like no one cares about Levi and Fish as much as I do. Once again, thanks for reading :) -Aj


	5. It Be a Mistake ta Take a Dare From Me, Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrissy meets Nicole. What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, Laddies. Let's dive right into this one! I'm so glad you all are loving this story so far!

**Wednesday, October 6th, 1993 3:04 PM**

“How is this _acceptable_?! I would expect this kind of work out of _grade seven_ students, but _college sophomores_?! A _paragraph_ is _five sentences_! And an _essay_ is five _paragraphs_ at least! I know what _all_ of you are capable of and _this_ is not it! I don’t _care_ that midterms are right around the corner. That’s even _more_ of a reason to be putting the effort in! . . .” The English professor let out a heavy sigh as she paced the floor in the front of the lecture hall. 

Every _single_ student in the room stared at her with horrified eyes, following her every move just in case there were any more surprises. She was the _last_ professor that they could see blowing their top like that. She was usually the sweetest woman, telling them stories to take up class time and bringing in her homemade baked goods every single Friday. 

But it seemed that _something_ had pushed her buttons today. 

She looked back towards all of them, raising her brows. “Now _what_ do you say?” 

Some kid tipped his head back in the front row, deadpanning to the class, “One, two, three.” 

“ _Sorry, Jolene_ ,” the rest of them chorus. 

“ _Thank you_.” 

Waverly let out a shaky breath as she dared to take a glance next to her at Jeremy, who looked just about as scared as she did. He slowly shook his head, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. 

They both knew this was going to be a _long_ class period.

**4:09 PM**

_And_ they were right. 

Jolene _finally_ released them after holding them after the last bell of the day. Waverly shoved her things into her bag and threw it over her shoulders, nudging her glasses up her nose as she leaned back against the arm of her chair, waiting for Jeremy to finish packing up.

“What crawled up her ass?” He muttered with a shake of his head. 

“I have no idea,” she sighed, pushing off the chair and walking with him to get over to the line of people trying to get out of the room. “Hey, Rosita and I were talking in Bio and she said that she wants to do Friendsgiving again this weekend. Are you in?” 

Jeremy looked towards her with a huge smile. “Of course! Last year was so fun!” 

Waverly smiled ear to ear as they walked out of the class, moving over and standing by the wall of windows so they could continue talking. “Great! I’ll call her later and we’ll work out all the details, but . . .”

“But?” Jeremy echoed, raising his brows in question.

“I was wondering if, maybe I don’t k-” Waverly jumped when she felt fingers push into the sides of her hips and heard a loud mouth pop near her ear. She grabbed onto the hands as she spun around, feeling her body relax when her eyes found Nicole’s smile. She squeezed her hands. “Hey, you.” 

“Did I scare ya?” The redhead asked with a grin.

“You did, yea,” Waverly laughed, dropping her hands. “What’re you doing here?” 

“Waitin’ fer ya ta get outta class,” she shrugged.

“Really?” She asked softly, and Jeremy rolled his eyes at their heart-eyes.

Nicole nodded, “Me last class was last period, so I took a stroll o’er ‘ere.”

“So,” Jeremy interrupted before they could swoon together any more than they already had. “D’you guys have fun this morning?” He looked between them with a shit-eating grin, letting his eyes rest on Nicole. “Ya know, Waves seemed _awfully_ happy when she got to Calc this morning.” 

“ _Jeremy_ ,” the brunette said through her teeth, throwing him a glare. 

Nicole looked towards her with a little smirk. “I dunno, Babe, I tink we had a _great time_.” 

Waverly’s eyes widened up at her and her jaw stuttered for a second. “Uh, ye-yea. Great ti-”

“Did she just call you _Babe_?!” 

All three heads turned in the direction of the tall blonde waltzing over to them. “Oh no,” Waverly muttered. “Chrissy-” 

“ _Hi_ , Nicole!” Chrissy smiled. She was staring up at her with a _wide_ grin that Waverly wanted to smack _right_ off her face. “I’m Chrissy Nedley.” 

The redhead shook her hand with a smile and a nod. “Oh, I’ve heard all 'bout ya.” 

Chrissy’s brows raised and she looked towards Waverly in question. “Is that right?” 

“What she _means_ is that I’ve _warned_ her about you, right, Nic?” The brunette asked, rolling her eyes as she moved towards them and pulled Chrissy’s hands away so she would stop gawking at how big Nicole’s were compared to her’s. 

“Yea, uh, you know who Waverly _hasn’t_ warned Nicole about?” Jeremy asked with a tip of his head, crossing his arms. “ _Me_. D’you know why? Cause she loves _me_ more.” 

Chrissy cocked a brow at him. “Really? Cause she didn’t tell you that _they_ went on a date.”

His head snapped towards them. “YOU WENT ON A-” 

“Will _both of you_ stop?!” Waverly groaned, running her hands down her face. “Why do you _always_ fight over me that?” 

Chrissy giggled, “Cause it makes you mad and it’s funny.” 

Nicole smirked as she looked towards Waverly. “It is kinda funny, Love.” 

“Oh my God,” she grumbled, turning to walk away, but Nicole caught her by the waist and pulled her towards her. 

“Aye, we’re coddin’ ya, it’s alrigh’,” she said softly with a smile, running her hands down her sides before letting her go. 

“Ok, I’m glad you two are a thing, it’s cute, I love it. And I’d _love_ to stick around and watch you feel each other up, but I promised Fish I’d help him with his physics down in the science wing so I’ve got to get going.” Jeremy gave them a smile as he quickly moved in the direction that he had spotted him walking. “I’ll see you guys later!”

“Bye, Jeremy,” they all called as he left. 

Waverly moved out of Nicole’s bubble, turning to face both of them with her cheeks red from his comment. “Anyway.-”

“Did he jus’ say he’s meetin’ a lad called _Fish_?” Nicole questioned. 

They both laughed a little. “His real name’s Ambrose, but we call him Fish,” Waverly informed. 

Her brows stayed slightly furrowed, but she nodded anyway. “Gotcha.” 

“I’ve got a _great_ idea,” Chrissy announced. 

“Great, huh?” Waverly mumbled skeptically. 

“Ya know, every Wednesday we get take-out, so I think it would be a great idea if _Nicole_ joined us tonight, don’t you?” 

Waverly felt a breath of relief leave her, for her idea actually _did_ sound pretty great. She looked up at the redhead with a wiggle of her brows. “I agree.”

Nicole pursed her lips. “Are ya sure? I don’t wanna-”

“I’m a million percent sure, Nic. C’mon, it’ll be fun.” She grabbed onto her arm and leaned into her front, looking up at her with the best puppy dog eyes she could manage. “Please?” 

The redhead let out a sigh with a smile. “Yer lucky I be gettin’ damned hungry.”

Waverly let out a happy squeal, bouncing up and down with a clap. “Yay! Let’s go, c’mon!” She let go of her arm as the three made their way out of the language department building and walked across campus to get to their dorms. 

“Elevator, yea?” Waverly asked, brushing Nicole’s hand with the back of her’s as they made their way into the dorm building. 

Nicole looked down at her with a cocked brow. “What floor do ya live on?” 

“The third.”

“Ya told me ya didn’t live far from me, Darlin’,” the redhead mumbled, directing them towards the elevator on the wing her dorm was at since it was closest.

“It’s not _that_ far.” She pressed the button and they all waited for the doors to open. 

“T’e t’ird floor’s rather far, Waves,” she said with a little chuckle as they walked in. 

“Nah.” Waverly shook her head, pressing the third-floor button and stepping back towards the middle of the elevator. She looked up at Nicole, giving her a soft smile as she shifted over a step and leaned back into her front. The redhead looked down at her with her own smile, wrapping her arms around her middle gently and pushing a kiss to her temple. Waverly let out a little hum, relaxing back more. 

“You guys make me wanna puke,” Chrissy grumbled as she leaned back against the metal wall. Nicole looked towards her with wide eyes, immediately pulling her arms away and taking a few steps back. 

“Yea, Chris, so does your roster of high school boy-toys,” Waverly huffed, turning and grabbing Nicole’s hands as she looked up into her nervous eyes. “Hey, she didn’t mean it like that. _Right_ , Chrissy?” She looked towards her with a pointed glare. 

“Oh God, no you guys are adorable That’s not what I meant. I’m just not used to Waverly being in a-” She stopped talking with the new glare she was shot.

The doors opened and the brunette let out a breath of relief, “Thank _God_.” She grabbed Nicole’s hand and gave her a little tug of encouragement, dropping it as they walked out of the elevator. 

“I’ve never been up ‘ere before,” she mumbled as she followed the two in the direction of their room. 

“No?” Waverly asked with a smile when they stopped at the door. She pushed her key in and twisted it, wiggling the handle around to get it to unlock. 

“Nah. Only toured t’e first floor when I came,” Nicole admitted as they walked in. She was quick to notice that their dorm looked pretty much identical to her’s besides the decorations and such of course. They had pink flowery curtains opposed to Nicole and Robin’s green, but they did seem to have the common theme of their favorite bands and singers’ posters put up on the walls. Instead of Robin’s instrument cases, there were piles of shoes, but considering that it was a room with two females, that wasn’t too shocking.

Chrissy went into the bathroom and Waverly walked over to her bed. She dropped her bag by the foot of it before sitting down and yanking her shoes off, glancing up at Nicole and letting out a huff. She got up and walked over to her, taking her hands in her’s. “How can you be _so tall_ , yet look _so tiny_.”

“What’s dat supposed ta mean?”

“It means you’re being _shy_ , Nic.” She let Nicole’s hands go and brought her’s up, pushing them through her hair and rubbing the pads of her thumbs on her cheeks. “What’s wrong?” 

“I dunno,” she mumbled. “I’m just . . . not used ta bein’ touchy when other people are around.” 

Waverly’s face saddened a little. “Baby, I promise, Chrissy meant it when she said she doesn’t care. You can do whatever you want in here.” 

The corner of Nicole’s lip lifted into a suggestive grin. “ _Anyting_ , aye?” 

Waverly’s face went red. “Ok, maybe _anything_ when she’s _not_ here,” she corrected with a wink before turning and dropping back on her bed. “C’mon.” 

Nicole let out a sigh to rid the anxiety in her bones. She toed her shoes off before sitting down and scooting back against her pillows, pulling Waverly to sit sideways in between her legs. She wrapped her arms tightly around her torso, pressing a few kisses to the side of her face. “Hi.” 

Waverly smiled up at her, snuggling into her and wrapping her arms around Nicole’s and pushing her face into her neck. “Hi.” She grabbed one of her blankets and pulled it over them with a content hum.

“How’re ya _cold_?” Nicole laughed, sitting them up to pull her jean jacket off. Waverly helped her when she struggled on the right side, furrowing her brow a little at the wince she let out at one point, and a little more when she saw the black compression sleeve hugging her shoulder that ended below the hem of her t-shirt sleeve. 

“Messed up shoulder, too, hmm?” She asked softly after wrapping Nicole’s jacket around herself instead of dropping it to the floor like the redhead was going to. 

“Yep,” she sighed, leaning back against the pillows. She pressed a kiss to Waverly’s lips when the worry in her eyes didn’t leave. “I’m alrigh’, t’ough. I promise ya.” 

Both of their heads turned when Chrissy walked out of the bathroom. “Ok,” she said as she walked towards them. She knelt down in front of the nightstand and pulled the drawer open, pulling out a huge stack of take-out menus and dropping them on Waverly’s lap. “What are we eating?” 

**5:58 PM**

The three had migrated to the floor after their vegan tacos had arrived. Nicole was quick to realize that Chrissy wasn’t someone that she should be worried about, unlike what she thought after the elevator situation. Now they were all enjoying each other’s company while they got to know one another. 

“And _that’s_ the story of how Waverly broke her ankle in two places,” Chrissy finished, smirking as she leaned back against her bed. 

“Excuse you,” Waverly huffed. “How _you_ broke my ankle in two places, _thank you_.”

Nicole shook her head at the two, letting out a laugh. “Dat’s _quite_ a story . . . One I wish I coulda witnessed ta laugh me arse off at.” 

“It wasn’t funny!” Waverly whined before looking towards her best friend. “ _You_ were the one who said the bedsheet would work as a parachute!” 

“Yea, well, still. To this day, it's the most daring thing you’ve _ever_ done,” Chrissy sighed.

“You _pushed_ me off! A _roof_ , Chrissy!” 

The blonde threw her arms out defensively. “You wouldn’t go and _I_ didn’t wanna go first!”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “Ok, whatever. That’s my truth for the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.” She took a drink of her water, flicking her eyes to Nicole. “Truth or dare?” 

She stroked her chin as she pretended to think about it. “Hmm . . . _Dare_.” 

“Oo, ballsy, are you?” 

“I guess I am,” the redhead smirked with a shrug. 

Waverly giggled, “Ok, uhh . . .” She tipped her head when one came to her. “I _dare_ you to let _me_ . . .”

“Oh?” Nicole asked with an interested raise of her brow. 

“Let me sit in your lap until we’re done playing,” the brunette finished with a grin. 

Nicole chuckled, shaking her head at her as she uncrossed her ankles and grabbed Waverly’s hand, pulling her over to lean back into her once she was sat in between her legs. “Dare accepted.” Waverly hummed, grabbing her arms and wrapping them around her. Nicole smiled, rocking them side to side for a second as she pushed a bunch of kisses to the side of her face. She looked up at Chrissy after a few seconds. “Alrigh’, truth or dare?” 

“Dare,” she said, putting her game face on. 

“It be a mistake ta take a dare from me, Love. I thought we established dis already?”

“Yea, well watching you make Waves lick the bathroom floor was funny as shit, so it’s only fair,” the blonde said with a shrug. 

“I still can’t believe you made me do that,” Waverly grumbled, gagging a little at the thought.

Nicole looked from Waverly to Chrissy, a sly smile spreading across her lips. “Ok. Ya have ta down dis hot sauce packet, ‘n ya can’t getta drink fer three minutes.” 

She tossed the hot sauce to her and Chrissy read the label with wide eyes. “Isn’t this stuff, like, _really_ hot?” 

“Dat’s t’e best kind,” Nicole smirked. “See, I prefer ta _not_ be able ta feel me mouth after I eat Mexican.” 

The blonde stared at her with wide eyes for a second, but let out a sigh. “Should have just said truth, Chrissy,” she mumbled to herself as she opened the plastic and squeezed the contents into her mouth. Her face scrunched up in disgust as she swallowed it down and let out a whine, “Oh _God_.” Her face quickly got all red as the heat rose in her mouth. 

“Poor thing,” Waverly said, giving her a faux-pout. “Your turn.” 

Chrissy leaned back against her bed as she continued to fan her mouth with her whines and groans of discomfort. “Haught, truth or dare?” 

“Back ta me, I see how it be.” Nicole figured it would probably be a _bad_ idea to take a dare from her at this point after just having made her do that. “Truth.” 

Chrissy’s mouth curved into a large grin despite the heat bubbling in her mouth and Nicole’s eyes widened a little in fear. “I’m glad that was your choice.”

“Oh no,” she mumbled. 

“So, Nicole . . . What’s your body count?” Waverly threw her a quick glare. 

The redhead’s eyes shot out of her head and her hand squeezed into Waverly’s side. “ _W- What_?”

Chrissy cocked a brow, but clarified, “How many people have you slept with? Girls or guys, doesn’t matter.” 

Her face immediately relaxed and she let go of Waverly’s side. “ _Oh_.” Her cheeks went bright red and she glanced down at the brunette for a moment. “Uhm . . . nine. All girls.” 

“ _Nine_?” Waverly questioned, tipping her head back to look at her. 

“I was a shitehead in high school,” she mumbled. 

“Oo,” she smirked. “Teen Nic was a _player_ , was she?” 

“ _Dat_ was _not_ t’e reaction I was expectin’,” The redhead grinned, tapping on her hip to get her to turn around. “I had me moments.” 

Waverly straddled her lap, pushing her hands through her hair to tip her head back. “I bet you did.” Nicole hummed when the brunette leaned down and met her lips, sliding her hands down her waist and squeezing her hips. 

Chrissy blinked at the two. “Well, that worked,” she muttered to herself before continuing to try and get the burn out of her mouth. She kept her eyes on the clock, waiting down the last minute as the two went at it before she could go get a drink. Her face scrunched a little as she tried to tune out the noises her best friend was making. She counted down the seconds in her head, springing to her feet when the three minutes were passed. “ _Finally_.” She rushed past the two and into the kitchen area and ripped the cabinet open, fumbling her hand around and grabbing a cup, knocking a metal thermos out in the process. It smacked the counter, bounced off, and hit the floor, rattling around on the tiles. “Whoops,” the blonde mumbled as she ripped the fridge open and poured herself a large cup of soy milk. 

“Nicole, what the _fuck_?” 

Chrissy quickly turned around as she took a drink, seeing that the redhead now had Waverly sandwiched between her and the floor. 

One second, they had been making out, but the _moment_ the cup hit the counter, she had dropped them forward, practically covering her with her entire body. 

“Hey.” Waverly pushed her hand through Nicole’s hair, pulling her head up to look at her. Nicole’s chest heaved against her as she stared down at her with bugged eyes. “It was just a cup, Baby. It’s ok.” 

Nicole shot off of her, putting her back against the bed as Waverly slowly sat up with concern in her eyes. She ran her hands down her face, looking away from her. “ _Fuck_.” The brunette tipped her head towards her to make her meet her eyes. “I’m sorry. I- It scared me.” 

Waverly rubbed her thumb on her cheek, glancing towards Chrissy to see that she had the same look of worry on her face. She looked back to Nicole, shaking her head. “It’s ok. It scared me, too.” 

Nicole swallowed as she slowly pushed to her feet. “I, uh . . .” She flicked her eyes towards their alarm clock on their nightstand as Waverly stood up in front of her. She looked back down at her. “It’s gettin’ late ‘n I’ve got a shite ton of homework ta get done still.” She walked over and tugged her Converse back on, throwing her backpack strap over her good shoulder. 

“Do you?” Waverly mumbled with a furrow of her brow, for she wasn’t really buying it. 

“I do,” Nicole nodded. “I’ve got a trig worksheet ‘n a Humanities paper I needa finish up.” She gave her a tiny smile. “I’m sorry, Love.” 

Waverly walked her over to the door. “No, it’s alright. Thanks for coming over.”

The redhead cupped her cheek as she leaned down into a soft kiss. “T’anks for invitin’ me.”

“Maybe I can read over that paper and check your answers for trig at lunch tomorrow? We can figure out a time when I can start helping you out since we _still_ haven’t done that.” 

She nodded with a chuckle, leaning into one last kiss before pulling her hand away and opening the door. “Sounds grand.” She looked past her at Chrissy with a smile. “Nice meetin’ ya.” 

“You, too,” Chrissy mumbled, still obviously concerned.

Nicole looked back to Waverly. “See ya, Darlin’.” 

“Bye, Nic.” The redhead walked out with one last smile and Waverly shut the door, leaning back against it and meeting Chrissy’s eyes. 

“I’m gonna go ahead and guess that she didn’t leave to do homework.”

Waverly’s eyes hardened as she pushed off the door. “Yea, no _shit_ , Chris.” She walked over and picked the cup up off the floor, shaking it at her for dramatic effect. “Your clumsy ass scared her away!” 

“I didn’t _mean_ to!” She argued, putting her hands up, almost spilling the milk from her glass. 

The brunette set it down on the counter and let out a sigh as she moved towards their take-out mess on the floor in between their beds. “Help me clean this up.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp


	6. I’m Gonna Have Ta Ask Ya Ta Not Do Dat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get minorly intense... only a lil bit though. ALso the most incredible RA enters the chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo  
> The boys get a little... uh -haught and bothered- at time mark 11:48 AM but that part does have some important dialogue so just skim it if you don't wanna read all the little nasty bits but I personally think it's more cute than anything.

**Thursday, October 7th, 1993 6:47 AM**

Jeremy found himself up early again Thursday even though he didn’t have any classes to attend. His mind had been so occupied with catching up on flashcards and worrying about his last English essay that Jolene had decided no one had done well on, because he couldn’t risk it dropping his grade lower than .3 points in order to keep his GPA up. At least he woke up in his bed rather than in the library this time. 

He showered and got ready close to seven, hardly noticing or caring that at some point in the very limited amount of time he’d been asleep that night, his roommate had managed to bring a girl home without him noticing. Something in Jeremy suspected that by the way she was snuggling so close to his roommate, she thought she was the only girl he had brought into their dorm over the last few weeks. 

Jeremy didn’t want to stay to see how their morning would play out, so he chose instead to grab his things and leave the building to go for a walk. While he walked, he found his notebook filled with orders for flashcards and counted up how many stacks he needed to finish by the end of the day. After not working on them during lunch the day before and then helping Fish out after class, he had finished half the amount he’d meant to, meaning his day off was going to be packed. 

After taking a short walk around a bit of the campus, he found himself heading towards the Muffin Man like he normally did. This time, though, he was not looking for doughnuts and coffee, instead, stopping in front of the empty alley for a moment. He felt a sad twinge in his chest, knowing that another reason he hadn’t been able to sleep was because he couldn’t stop replaying the events from the morning before over and over in his mind.

Something in him was hoping for a repeat of those events just so he could feel the rush of adrenaline and excitement that he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in a long time. 

He tightened his grip on his satchel and turned around to head inside of the bakery. 

“Ya know, Jer, dis seems ta be bordering on loiterin’,” Robin said, crossing his arms.

Jeremy jumped, finding himself with his face nearly in Robin’s chest. “What are you doing?” he asked nervously.

Robin chuckled and swung the bag of trash he had been carrying over his shoulder, walking past Jeremy. “I’m doing me job, Shorty,” he smirked, throwing it into the dumpster at the end of the alley. “Mind answerin’ me t’e same question?”

“I-I was just…” Jeremy trailed. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath, trying not to make eye contact with Robin. 

“Yer biting dat lip again,” Robin said, casting him a kind smile. “I didn’t mean ta scare ya, jus’ so ya know… well, I did a wee bit, but not ta be an arse or anyting.” 

“I know…” Jeremy said, leaning against the wall. “I just didn’t expect to see you, I guess.” 

“Ya ain’t disappointed, I hope.”

Jeremy immediately shook his head. “No! I mean…” he paused and took a breath. “No. Definitely not.” 

Robin peered back into the building through the glass windows at the front. “Well, I don’t have any classes today, so I’ve gotta work ‘till ten. If you’ve gotta get ta an 8 a.m. class, don’t wait up.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Jeremy quipped back, not wanting him to think that he was expecting to be walked to class or something. “I don’t have classes today either. I normally sit in and work on flashcards on Thursdays.”

Robin smiled. “Do ya?” 

“I have since spring midterms last year.”

“I guess dat gives me an excuse ta come up ta t’e front more often.” Robin smirked as he opened the door and walked inside.

Jeremy followed, feeling a blush creeping up his face when Robin held the door open for him before jumping the counter, much to Rosita’s dismay, and heading through a door labeled “Kitchen”. 

“Mornin’ Jer,” Rosita greeted with a smile after turning her attention away from glaring at Robin’s back for knocking her cups over when he’d hopped the counter. “The usual?”

Jeremy nodded. “Double the doughnuts, I’ll be here for a while.” 

“Behind in your business?” she questioned, packing up the doughnuts and adding an extra because she didn’t think he’d notice. 

“Way too behind,” he groaned. 

She sighed understandingly and handed him his order. “Your usual with two extra doughnuts.”

“You put three in the bag,” Jeremy mumbled, pointing out that he’d seen what she’d done.

Rosita shook her head like she didn’t know what he was talking about. “Two extra doughnuts.”

“Thank you, Rosie,” he said, handing her enough to pay for the extra doughnut along with dropping a few dollars in her tip jar. He then found a spot in the corner and started on the next round of flashcards. 

**9:00 AM**

It had been close to an hour and a half of a couple people coming in every once in a while and random banging and cursing in the kitchen when Robin would drop something, but other than that, Jeremy had made significant progress and still had three doughnuts and half of his iced coffee left. He leaned back after finishing his sixth stack of cards and stared out at the street and sidewalk for a moment, letting his eyes adjust and his brain relax. 

“Rosie Roo!” came a screech from the kitchen.

"What do you want?” Rosita called back with a groan. 

Robin kicked the kitchen door open and leaned against one of the glass cases. “I’m bored,” he said, rather calmly considering the amount of energy he’d radiated not two seconds before.

“Clean something,” the barista huffed, swatting him away from the case. 

“Can I bus tables?”

Rosita raised her brow. “Why? You hate working in the lobby.”

“I’m bored!” he yelled again, causing her to cover her ears. 

“The tables aren’t dirty. The only one that’s been used is the one that’s currently being used,” she explained, glancing at Jeremy.

“Can I bus dat table?” Robin asked, grinning at him when he turned his head that way. 

“Robin, no!” Rosita groaned, hitting him over the back of the head with a rag. “Do you need a break? You’re getting antsy.” 

“I’d love ta take a break,” he smiled, moving to jump over the counter again. 

"Robin!” Rosita scolded, grabbing his arm and pushing him towards the little door that was connected to the counter. “You’re twenty-one, _act like it_.” 

“ _Yer twenty-one_ ,” Robin mocked in her direction, grabbing Jeremy’s arm and pulling him towards the door as he did so. Jeremy grabbed one of his doughnuts before allowing Robin to drag him into the alley. 

Robin checked to make sure no one was going to be walking past before pulling out a fresh joint and lighting it. He started to pace the alley as he took his first couple drags, letting the smoke drift from his mouth or nose while he hummed the melody to different jazz songs.

“Are you okay?” Jeremy asked after a few seconds, taking a bite of his doughnut. “You’re, like-”

“Spazzy?” Robin asked, suddenly growing still and defensive. “Like I ‘didn’t take me meds today’?” 

Jeremy’s brow furrowed tightly. “What? I was gonna say that you’re not as relaxed and definitely not as high as you were yesterday.” 

“Oh,” Robin mumbled, running a hand through his hair and starting to pace again. “Sorry.”

“Do people say things like that?” Jeremy asked, grabbing his arm before he walked another lap around the alley. 

Robin leaned against the wall and shrugged, taking another long drag and releasing the smoke through his nose. “It happens.”

Jeremy frowned. “I used to get super happy and hyper like that when I was in high school. Bipolar depression. They had to put me on, like, six different medications before we found one that didn’t make me sick or more depressed.” 

"ADHD,” Robin mumbled. “I hated ta medication cause it was ‘posed to ‘even me out’ but it jus’ made me so low and depressed tat I never took it… den someone sold me a gram ‘o weed and, fer t’e first time, I felt like I was able ta focus on tings ‘n not piss off everyone around me in five minutes or less.”

“I thought it was really cute when you were messing around and being all hyper, if that makes you feel any better.” 

Robin smiled a little. “T’anks, Shorty.” 

"But you did say weed _wasn’t_ medicinal for you,” Jeremy pointed out.

Robin looked away from him for a second, scuffing his combat boot against the concrete. “I didn’t want ya ta tink dere was someting wrong with me,” he muttered quietly.

Jeremy’s chest burned with a sudden sadness. “I don’t want you to feel like you need to lie to me, Robin.”

Robin shrugged. “Well, when I said dat, I tought ya were jus’ a cute guy who may or may not tell t’e administration dat I smoke pot in the alley o’ me work.”

"So your first impression of me was that I was cute and may or may not be a snitch?” Jeremy asked, pleased with this information. “I can accept that.” 

“Ya _was_ wearin’ a Star Wars shirt, in me defense.” 

“Well, I’m wearing a Batman shirt today,” Jeremy said, peering down to make sure that it was, in fact, one of his many Batman shirts. 

"Dat’s respectable,” Robin said, blowing another puff of smoke just past Jeremy’s face. “Yer biting yer lip again… What’d I do dis time?”

“What d’you mean?” He asked, flicking his eyes from the joint between Robin’s fingers to his eyes. 

“Ya bite yer lip when ya get nervous, and ya get nervous when I do someting that ya either find attractive or,” he paused to take another drag. “Or talk ‘bout someting that ya don’t know how ta respond to.”

Jeremy watched him blow that round of smoke from both his nose and his mouth, and it was then that Robin realized what was going on.

“Lord, Shorty,” he chuckled. “I honestly didn’t tink it’d be t’e smokin’ dat was gettin’ ya all hot and bothered.”

“I’m not-” Jeremy paused and pursed his lips, knowing that that was exactly what it was. 

Robin put the joint out and cocked his head to the side. “Is it t’e act or t’e visual? Just out o’ curiosity.”

"I think it’s the visual,” Jeremy admitted, feeling blush creep up his cheeks and finding it really hard to keep direct eye contact with Robin. 

“Interestin’,” Robin mumbled with a nod, moving to walk past him and head back inside. “Ya comin’?” 

Jeremy nodded, watching him round the corner. He glanced down at the tent forming in his jeans and rolled his eyes. “Dude, _chill_ ,” he muttered at little Jeremy before following Robin inside and sitting down at the table as fast as he could. 

Rosita looked at them both as Robin pushed passed the little door without even trying to jump the counter and noticing that Jeremy’s face was most definitely a little red. When Robin had disappeared into the kitchen after giving Jeremy a wink, Rosita’s eyes widened at him. 

“Do you…” she paused, holding her fingers up like she was smoking a joint. “Are you like a-”

“Pothead?” Jeremy asked nervously. “No!”

“Then what were you doing out there with _him_?” she whispered so that Robin couldn’t hear her if he was close to the door.

“Talking,” Jeremy informed. “I ate one of my doughnuts and Robin did- well, you know.”

Rosita shot him a suspicious look but dropped it anyway and started making a drink despite no one else being in the shop but them. “How are the flashcards?”

“Emotionally draining,” Jeremy muttered, picking up a pen and starting back on a set of chemistry notes. “Mind numbing,” he continued. “Make me want to slam my head into this table until my brain explodes. They also pay my student loans, though, so what can I say?”

She sighed, lidding the drink she’d been working on and walking over to him. “On the house,” she smiled, setting down another tall cup of iced coffee on his table. “Someone’s gotta keep people from failing chemistry.”

“Thank you, Rosie.”

“Hey, by the way,” she said before turning to go back behind the counter. “You can invite Robin to Friendsgiving if you want.”

**10:04 AM**

“I’m leavin’!” Robin yelled, apparently feeling a bit hyper again. “Bya, Rosie Roo,” he said, kissing her cheek before hopping over the counter again. 

She swatted at him. “Stop doing that, you absolute _menice_!” 

Robin smirked at her as he walked to where Jeremy was sat, still hunched over his flashcards. Robin put his hands on the notebook Jeremy was reading from and leaned down to press the side of his face to the table so he was forced to look at him. “How’s it goin’?”

Jeremy shrugged, his face sad and tired from the strain of the amount of flashcards he’d pumped out in such a short period of time.

“Awe, wipe dat puss off yer face, Shorty,” Robin cooed. “Pack it up, let's walk back ta t’e dorms.”

“I can’t,” Jeremy whined, trying to move Robin’s hand from his notebook with no success. “I’ve been here since 7:30 and I’ve only made _fifteen_ stacks, and that means I’ve got eight more to do before tomorrow when I’ve got another _twelve_ to make to be able to have them all done for Saturday study groups.” He let out a loud groan. “And I’ll probably get _more_ orders tomorrow, too.”

"C’mon,” Robin coaxed, patting his back. “Sittin’ in here bein’ miserable is no way ta spend a beautiful Thursday mornin’, Jer.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” he protested. 

“Yer almost in tears from t’e stress,” Robin corrected, starting to rubberband the groups of flashcards and stack up his notebooks. “Yer comin’ back ta me gaff. I’ll smoke, you’ll have yer mind on tings other den dese _bloody_ flashcards, and we’ll both be happy.”

Jeremy sighed and leaned back in his chair, feeling his muscles relaxing and his joints popping. He faked a glare at Robin, but stood anyways and helped pack his satchel. He threw away his trash and took his fresh cup of coffee. 

“Bye, boys,” Rosita called as they left and made their way to the sidewalk. 

Jeremy found himself almost jogging to keep up with Robin’s fast pace and long legs. “You’ve gotta slow down a little bit,” he huffed. 

Robin looked behind him and stopped, almost causing a collision between them. “Sorry ‘bout dat. I’m long, hyper-active, _and_ gay which leads me ta walk faster dan most anyone should.”

“I can see that,” Jeremy said, starting to walk at a normal pace for Robin to match. “My friend, Waverly-”

“We’ve met,” Robin informed with a chuckle.

Jeremy shot him a suspicious look. “Well, her and I always walk fast compared to her friend, Chrissy-”

“We’ve _also_ met.”

“Really? She’s a freshman,” Jeremy said in confusion. 

“It’s a whole ting,” Robin snorted, waving his hand. “Waverly ‘n Nic’ve been _hanging_ _out_ , and Chrissy apparently has a habit o’ jus’ showing up places.”

“They’re cute, aren’t they? Nicole and Waverly?” 

Robin shrugged. “I try ta stay out o’ Nic’s love life as much as possible. T’e big brother instincts in me tell me ta give ‘er girlfriends t’e ‘I’ll kill ya if ya hurt ‘er’ talk, but from, uh, personal experience, Nic doesn’t like it when I do dat.” 

Jeremy scoffed. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve seen Waverly cry from accidentally stepping on a family of ants, so her likelihood of willingly doing _anything_ to hurt someone is very low…” he trailed. “What are you doing?”

Robin looked down at him from where he was walking across the back of a bench. “Uh-” he jumped from the bench, scratching the back of his neck, but then catching the amused smile on Jeremy’s lips and feeling his anxiety about being an annoyance slipping away. “Ya should know dat I’m like dis a lot.” 

"That’s okay,” Jeremy said, bumping their arms together as they entered the dorm building and he followed Robin towards the East wing. “My anxiety is, like, way high right now, so I’m surprised that I’m not just rambling on and on. I guess I’m overly conscious of it at the moment because I don’t want you to find me overly annoying- is Nicole here?” 

They’d stopped in front of a door and Robin jiggled the handle for a second before pulling out his keys. “If the door’s locked, Nic’s not here.” Jeremy nodded, watching Robin aggressively try to get the door to unlock. “Fer fuck’s sake,” he groaned. “Dis is why I don’t lock t’e bloody door!” 

“Here,” Jeremy said, grabbing Robin’s arm and handing him his coffee. He took the key and gently put it into the door, unlocking it easily and pushing the door open. 

“T’ank ya,” Robin mumbled, bouncing on his heels and holding out Jeremy’s coffee when he handed him his keys. Robin’s eyes had drifted to two people arguing at the end of the hall and he didn’t notice Jeremy trying to get the cup out of his hand. “Bloody ‘ell!” he groaned, feeling it slip from his fingers and explode down Jeremy’s front.

“ _Shit_!” Jeremy gasped, holding his arms away from his now soaking shirt and jeans.

“Awe, Shorty, I’m sorry,” Robin mumbled, rushing to pick the cup up and turn on the light to the dorm so they could see what they were doing. “I’m really makin’ a mess o’ meself today.” 

“Technically you’re making a mess of me,” Jeremy teased. “Hey, I’m kidding!” he assured, seeing the pout on Robin’s lips. “Don’t look at me like that!” 

Robin looked away, not wanting Jeremy to see how agitated he was with himself. “Here,” he said, pulling off his apron and throwing it onto the bed before pulling off the Beastie Boys t-shirt he was wearing. He moved to a dresser and dug around in it to find a pair of black sweatpants, handing the shirt and pants to Jeremy with a sorry smile. 

Jeremy stared at him wide eyed, observing his body almost unashamedly. He was fit, most likely still keeping up with some of the training he’d gotten from basic training in the military. On top of that, he had several tattoos just on his chest and ribcage that he found his eyes lingering on for longer than necessary. Robin didn’t seem to mind, either. He spun around slowly with his arms up, letting Jeremy observe him with a slight raise of his eyebrow and a cocky grin on his face.

“Thanks,” Jeremy said breathlessly, taking the clothes and going into the bathroom to change.

While he changed, he could hear gentle jazz start playing from somewhere in the room and Robin humming along with it. Jeremy smiled softly, kicking off his shoes and pulling off his soaking shirt, jacket, and jeans. He threw them in the hamper that was sitting near the shower and pulled on Robin’s shirt, smelling a mix of weed, flour, and vanilla that all weirdly worked together.

“Are your legs actually this long?” he asked when he came out of the bathroom, the legs of the sweatpants dragging behind him as he walked.

Robin grinned from his spot on his bed where he’d been working at the laces of his combat boots to take them off. He watched Jeremy struggling to roll the waistband of the sweatpants down and the cuffs of the ankles up so that he wasn’t dragging the spare fabric around.

“Ya look really cute,” Robin said, standing to help roll the cuffs of the shirt sleeves up to an appropriate length for his arms.

Jeremy watched him for a moment before his eyes trailed to the tattoo on Robin’s ribcage, his fingers subconsciously reaching out to graze the skin. 

“Go dtí na laethanta ar fad anseo agus ina dhiaidh,” Robin said fluently.

“Huh?” Jeremy asked, his eyes snapping up to meet Robin’s.

“Dat’s what it says,” he explained. “Roughly translates ta ‘to all t’e days here and after’ in Irish. Nic’s got t’e same one. Our gift ta each other fer graduatin’ secondary school.” He moved to Jeremy’s other arm and started to cuff the sleeve. He lifted it a bit, noticing a few stray lines poking out from the bottom of the sleeve. “And what do we have ‘ere?”

“Oh,” Jeremy muttered, lifting the sleeve to reveal a chemical compound tattooed on his shoulder. “Serotonin. Chemical I lack the most of… when I was first diagnosed with depression, having the doctors explain it in scientific terms helped me cope with it. I guess knowing that it wasn’t something that I could control made me feel better about it- am I talking too much? I do that.”

"I like it when ya talk. Quite a bit, actually,” Robin said, finishing cuffing Jeremy’s sleeve. He looked up, meeting Jeremy's nervous eyes. “Can I try someting?”

“Yeah, what is-” Jeremy was cut off by Robin tilting his chin up and pressing their lips together. He grabbed Robin’s arm in surprise and Robin wrapped his other arm around Jeremy’s waist to pull them closer together.

Robin pulled back after a few seconds. “Did dat help with yer serotonin output?” he asked.

“Uh, y- yeah…” Jeremy stammered, staring at Robin in disbelief. “Well, probably more dopamine than serotonin.”

“Don’t dey call dat t’e love chemical?” 

"That’s what it’s called sometimes, but it’s more associated with pleasure, satisfaction, and getting rewards-” Jeremy stopped when he realized that he was rambling. “In this case, for me at least, oxytocin was most likely released as well.”

Robin walked them to the wall as Jeremy spoke and pressed him against it gently. The hand that wasn’t on the small Jeremy’s back found it’s way up to his face and caressed his cheek softly. 

“Isn’t dat a painkiller people get addicted to?” Robin asked.

“I think that’s Oxycodone,” Jeremy corrected, letting his body relax between Robin and the wall. “ _Oxytocin_ is associated with bonding and trust.”

“Ya trust me?” Robin asked, a small smile inching onto his lips. 

Jeremy looked into the kindness of his eyes and nodded without much thought. “I think so.” 

“Good,” he rasped.

He connected their lips once more, holding Jeremy’s face in the palm of his hand. He felt Jeremy’s fingers dig into his arm in reaction and Robin grinned against his lips. Jeremy pressed his other hand to Robin’s bare chest, still holding onto his bicep for support because his knees seemed to grow weak every time Robin touched him. He ran his fingers up and around his neck, pulling them so close that their chests were flush against one another. 

Robin tugged at Jeremy’s bottom lip with his teeth, feeling him shiver slightly. His hands started to drift, carding his fingers through Jeremy’s curls and then down his back to meet his other hand. 

Jeremy started to relax into the kiss. He tilted his head back, deepening it and eventually finding the confidence to let his hand explore Robin’s chest. Robin’s hands trailed to his hips, grabbing them gently. His thumbs ran under the hem of the shirt, touching a bit of raised skin. 

Jeremy tensed, instinctively grabbing Robin’s hands and pulling his head back. He looked away, feeling the heat rising to his face.

My bad,” Robin said, lacing his fingers with Jeremy’s. “Shouldn’t‘ve assumed dat-” 

“No,” Jeremy blurted, still refusing to meet Robin’s eyes. “It’s okay. It just caught me off guard. It’s dumb, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for nothin’,” Robin said, taking Jeremy’s chin and forcing him to look at him, a soft smile on his lips. “We’re in no rush, Shorty.” Jeremy let out a sigh of relief that Robin hadn’t been put off by what he’d done. “Why don’t we watch a movie instead, aye?”

Jeremy nodded, matching Robin’s smile. “I’d like that.”

Robin pressed a quick kiss to Jeremy’s forehead and moved to the shelf that had a TV and a VCR player on it along with a stack of three VHS tapes. “We’ve got E.T., Grease, and, me personal favorite, T’e Rocky Horror Picture Show,” Robin listed, holding out all of the tapes.

“Rocky!” Jeremy said, suddenly excited. “My mom took me to see it on my eleventh birthday because it was playing at a drive-in downtown.”

“Did she know what it was ‘bout?” Robin asked with a cocked brow as he shoved the VHS into the player.

Jeremy chuckled. “She was… _shocked_ , to say the least.”

Robin grabbed his apron off the bed and hung it up, then pushed the covers up on the bed and pat a spot for Jeremy to sit. Jeremy leaned back against the pillows and watched the tape start rolling while Robin dug around the closet for a minute. 

“What are you doing?” Jeremy asked.

“Puttin’ a shirt on,” he said, pulling another band shirt out.

“ _Why_?” Jeremy pouted. 

Robin shot him an amused look and threw the shirt onto the floor. “Alrigh’, no shirt it is.”

Jeremy looked back to the TV when Robin sat on the bed next to him, not wanting him to see his satisfied smile. He tucked his legs under him criss-cross while Robin laid down and let his feet reach almost the end of the bed, tucking an arm under his head to prop it up a little. 

After a few minutes of the movie, Jeremy glanced over to find Robin turning his head to pretend to be watching the movie rather than him. He looked back to the screen as well, but found Robin’s hand on the bed and intertwined their fingers. 

**11:48 AM**

Over halfway through the movie, Robin caught Jeremy looking at him several times in just a couple minutes, sighing or scrunching up his face in thought whenever he’d look away. The last time, Robin squeezed Jeremy’s hand to get his attention. 

“What’s a’matta, Shorty?”

Jeremy pursed his lips and looked at the blankets and then back up at Robin. “Is it okay if I get under the blankets?” 

“Are ya cold?” Jeremy nodded, biting his lip nervously. “I’ve got no control over ya,” Robin said softly.

“They’re your blankets, though.”

Robin shook his head with a laugh. “My blankets couldn’t give a _feck_ less if ya got under dem or not.”

"That doesn’t answer my question,” he whined.

“Get under t’e blankets, Jer,” Robin demanded, letting go of his hand and pulling the blankets up so that Jeremy could pull his legs under them. “Betta?”

Jeremy nodded, scooting closer and letting Robin move his head into his lap. He turned his attention back to the movie, one hand on Robin’s chest and the other subconsciously running through his thick, brown hair. 

Robin reached up and grabbed Jeremy’s wrist, looking up at him. “I’m gonna have ta ask ya ta not do dat,” he said breathlessly.

“Why?” Jeremy asked, worried.

Robin’s face turned a light shade of red and he coughed out a nervous laugh. “I’ve kinda got a ting fer… uh, people pullin’ me hair, and yer gettin’ dangerously close ta gettin’ me at a place where I _really_ don’t tink you want me at.” 

Jeremy cocked his head to the side and pulled his wrist from Robin’s hand, running it through his hair again, closing his fist around it and tugging a little. He noticed Robin’s other hand grip the sheets as he tried his best not to let out a moan.

“Does that bother you?” Jeremy questioned, hiding a smirk.

Robin stuck his tongue into cheek and shook his head, turning back the movie with a sigh. “Yer pushin’ it, Shorty.”

“What?” Jeremy asked innocently, dragging his fingers through Robin’s hair a few more times.

“Someone got confident,” Robin sighed, closing his eyes as Jeremy tugged at his hair hard enough to pull his head back. After one more tug, he quickly sat up and straddled Jeremy’s legs, taking both of his hands and pinning them to the wall above his head. “Yer actions have consequences, Jeremy.”

Jeremy felt his breathing hitch in his throat as he stared into Robin’s warning eyes. He swallowed hard, feeling Robin’s breath on his face. “I think we should pause the movie,” he breathed.

Robin shook his head, but there was still the smallest hint of an amused smile on his face as he let go of Jeremy’s hands and reached for the remote. “Is dis you saying dat you’re okay to-”

"Yeah,” Jeremy said, taking Robin’s face in his hands and kissing him roughly. Robin grabbed onto Jeremy’s waist in surprise, but was sure to stay far from the hem of his shirt to keep from spooking him again. He didn’t want to ruin _this_. 

Jeremy’s hand snuck up the nape of Robin’s neck, fingers following the natural path of his hair before taking a chunk of it in his fist and pulling Robin’s head to the side, leaving his neck open for kisses. Robin moaned, letting go of Jeremy’s mouth and leaving Jeremy to start pressing kisses to his face and then to his neck. He kept his hand tight in Robin’s hair as he sucked on the pale skin, making sure to leave a mark.

Robin’s fingers dug into Jeremy’s waist as he nipped and sucked at Robin’s skin. He let out another soft moan as Jeremy sucked on his collarbone, still pulling his fingers through his hair as he did so.

"Just so ya know,” Robin moaned. “It’s takin’ everyting in me not to pin ya to dis bed and have my way with ya.” 

Jeremy’s eyes widened as he pulled back, loosening his hold on Robin’s hair and looking into his lust filled eyes. “That’s actually kinda sweet…” he said, grinding his hips up into Robin’s and forcing his other hand into his hair so that he had complete control of Robin’s head.

“Alrigh’, dat’s it,” Robin groaned, wrapping an arm around Jeremy’s back and grabbing at one of his arms. He flipped Jeremy onto his back, pinning him down and restraddling his hips. “Yer bein’ a little _gobshite_ and I’m not gonna take it.”

Jeremy lifted his head up a little to get closer to Robin’s lips. "That was kind of the point,” he whispered, still looking into Robin’s eyes.

Robin let out an aggravated breath through his nose and shook his head. “What’s yer ting?”

“My _thing_?” Jeremy questioned with a raise of his eyebrow. 

“Kink,” he clarified. “Gettin’ hickies, havin’ me hair pulled, and bein’ choked are mine, fer example.”

“Choking?” Jeremy asked nervously. 

"We can get into dat another time.”

Jeremy nodded, relieved. “I don’t know if I’ve got a kink or anything like that…” he trailed, thinking for a moment. “I guess, I wouldn’t really know.”

“Are you a-” Robin paused, eyeing Jeremy suspiciously. “Yer a virgin?”

“No!” Jeremy said quickly. “Well, not technically.” 

“Technically?” he questioned. Jeremy sighed and looked away, and Robin noticed that he’d started gnawing on his bottom lip. There was a sudden jolt of nerves and anxiety in the air like when he’d touched Jeremy’s sides, and he didn’t want to make it any worse.

He moved back, helping Jeremy sit up as well, and held his hands. “Ya don’t have ta talk ‘bout it if ya don’t want to.”

“No, it’s just,” Jeremy thought for a moment to find the best way to say it. “I’ve only had sex one and a half times.”

“One and a _half_?” 

Jeremy looked away from him, feeling as though he was being observed under a microscope.

“Jeremy,” Robin said softly, trying to catch his eye. “It’s okay, ya don’t have ta tell me anyting if ya don’t want ta.”

“I do, though!” Jeremy whined, getting frustrated with himself. “I _want_ to talk to you about it, I just don’t know what to say.”

“Dere’s no rush, Shorty,” Robin assured, bringing Jeremy’s hand to his mouth and kissing his knuckles. “Take yer time.” 

Jeremy nodded, finally meeting his gaze. “I guess it's just that there were only a few people like us that came through the group home. My friends Fish and Levi were the first two gay guys I’d ever met before this guy named Bailey came through.”

“Dat sounds like t’e name o’ an arsehole,” Robin grumbled.

“You have _no_ idea,” Jeremy muttered. “He realized that I was gay immediately and, long story short, we ended up hooking up. I topped because I was too anxious to bottom and it was my first time doing _anything._ I thought it really meant something…” he trailed off with a shaky exhale. Robin squeezed his hand to try and comfort him. Jeremy took a deep breath and continued. “Then after a party he’d taken me too, I was a little drunk and he convinced me to bottom… halfway through, I had a panic attack.”

“One and a half,” Robin realized. “Dat’s super shitty.”

“So yeah… I don’t really have a thing,” he said, forcing a smile. “At this point, you’d probably be able to convince me that I’m a top.”

Robin kissed Jeremy’s forehead. “Oh, Shorty, I hate ta tell ya dis but dere is no chance in _hell_ dat _you_ are a top.” 

Jeremy playfully slapped his arm and looked back up at him, a real smile on his lips. “I _could_ be a top,” he argued.

“Considerin’ I can-” Robin pushed Jeremy onto his back and planked over his body, holding Jeremy’s face between his hands and kissing him as soft as they had since they’d gotten back to the dorm. “-do dat ta ya without ya even tryin’ ta stop me proves dat yer most definitely _not_ a top.”

Jeremy shrugged, kissing him again. “No complaints here.” 

Robin caressed Jeremy’s cheeks and kissed his forehead. “If ya ever decide dat I’m someone ya want ta go dat far with, we ain’t doin’ _shite_ until yer one hundred and ten percent _sure_ , one hundred and twenty percent _comfortable._ I want ya to feel one million percent _safe_ ,” he pressed a soft kiss to Jeremy’s lips. “ _Happy_ ,” he kissed him again. “And _loved_.” Robin pressed one more long and sweet kiss to his lips. 

“I just don’t think I’m confident enough in my mental state to risk going through that again right now,” Jeremy whispered, searching Robin’s face for a negative reaction.

“Confidence is key,” Robin told him. “And we can work on dat.” 

“That doesn’t mean we can’t do other things, though,” Jeremy urged, reaching up and holding onto Robin’s sides, feeling the heat radiating off of his body. “Like try and figure out what my _thing_ is.”

Robin smirked and nodded. “I tink dat’s a great idea.”

He dropped out of his plank position and pressed his body against Jeremy’s, pulling him into a deep kiss when he felt Jeremy arching into him. Jeremy’s fingers started to run up his back and his nails dug into his skin when Robin sucked on his lip. Robin smirked, enjoying Jeremy’s reactions, and he started to trail kisses down the curve of Jeremy’s neck. 

Jeremy’s legs hiked up and over Robin’s hips, latching them together. Robin sucked a hickey onto Jeremy’s neck and bucked his hips forward, grinding their hips together and causing Jeremy to release a soft moan for the first time.

Robin pulled back in shock and looked at the evident embarrassment on Jeremy’s face. “Dat was kinda hot, Shorty.”

Jeremy put his hands over his face, laughing nervously as he felt his cheeks getting hot again. 

“Nah, I mean it,” Robin said, pulling Jeremy’s hands away from his face so he could watch his reaction when he rocked his hips against him again. Jeremy’s hands gripped Robin’s wrists and his eyes nearly rolled all the way back as he let out a strangled moan. “Yeah, dat’s-”

“Jett?” someone called, knocking on the door. “Midterm schedules are out.” 

Robin dropped his head onto Jeremy chests and groaned. “Not a good time, Xavier!” 

“Yeah, well I’m not coming by again so you either get it or you don’t!”

" _I'_ _m not comin’ by again so ya_ \- aye, feck off!” Robin mocked, climbing off the bed. He looked down at a large tent in his jeans and scrunched up his nose in annoyance. “Bloody ‘ell. I’m... _naked_ , would ya give me a minute?” 

"You’ve got ten seconds or I’m leaving,” Xavier warned.

Robin grabbed the shirt he’d thrown on the floor and held it in front of his crotch, shrugging and making Jeremy laugh at his lack of shits to give. He made his way to the door, opening it just enough to fit his head through. 

The RA nudged the door open a little more, glanced down, and raised an eyebrow. “You managed to squeeze into a pair of Haught’s jeans in seven seconds?”

“Yer funny,” Robin scoffed, reaching through the crack for the schedule. 

“You want Haught’s too?” he questioned. “And what about-” he peered over Robin’s head and looked at Jeremy, who was still laying on the bed, Robin’s sweatpants _hardly_ covering the fact that he was just as erect as Robin. “Hi, Jeremy. You want yours too?” 

“I’m good,” Jeremy grunted, grabbing a pillow and setting it on his middle. 

“Alright,” he sighed, passing Robin him and Nicole’s schedules. 

“What t’e hell?” Robin groaned, throwing one of his arms out. “Why’d ya make me come get mine, but yer givin’ him a pass?”

Xavier raised an eyebrow. “Because _Jeremy_ doesn’t get complaints about him playing bad jazz and a saxophone at one in the morning when he’s drunk.”

“Whatever.” Robin rolled his eyes. “Bye, Dolls.”

"You two have fun now.”

Robin shot Xavier a glare and slammed the door shut. 

“Are you really wearing Nicole’s jeans?” Jeremy asked.

“We’re t’e same size!” Robin huffed. “The only time it becomes a problem is when _dis_ happens,” he said, gesturing down to where he was still holding the t-shirt. “And I feel like ya ain’t complaining much ‘bout dat.”

Jeremy snorted, rolling onto his side to watch Robin dig through his dresser again and pull out another pair of black sweatpants. Robin shook his head when he noticed Jeremy watching him. “Give me a minute, aye?” he said, slipping into the bathroom to change. Not thirty seconds had gone by before Robin swung the door open, looking at Jeremy with something bubbling behind his eyes. “Look what ya did ta me neck! I’ve got ta go ta _work_ like dis tomorrow!” 

Jeremy laughed, looking at the massive purple hickeys on his neck and chest that he was pointing at. “You work in the kitchen, you’ll be fine,” he teased, standing to meet Robin near the bathroom. He set his hands on Robin’s hips, shooting him a playful smile. “But don’t forget that the RA saw you with them too. And he saw me in here with you.” 

“I’m gonna get ya back for dis, Shorty.” Robin groaned, looking back into t’e mirror. He glanced to where he’d been sucking hickeys onto Jeremy’s neck before Xavier interrupted. “ _Goddammit_ , I can’t even fecking see dem on ya!” 

“What can I say?” Jeremy sighed, looking up at Robin with pride. “I’m a natural chocolate beauty.”

“Beauty’s for sure,” Robin agreed with a kiss to his lips. 

Jeremy smiled before a thought dawned on him. “What’re you doing for Thanksgiving Break this weekend?” 

Robin shrugged. “I’m not sure, I’ve never had a Tanksgivin’ before. T’e Muffin Man’s shut down for t’e weekend and Monday, so I guess I’ll jus’ be ‘ere with Nic workin’ on stuff fer midterms.”

“Well, Rosie, Waverly, Chrissy, and I are having Friendsgiving Saturday at the bakery if you want to come. We all cook a little and then just hang out before Waves and Chrissy have to go home to see their families.”

“I don’t wanna impose," Robin said sheepishly.

"No, hey, listen,” Jeremy urged. “I'm pretty sure with the way things are going, Waverly is going to end up inviting Nicole, anyways. I think it's only fair if you come too." 

"Are ya sure?” Robin asked softly.

Jeremy stood on his toes to kiss Robin again. “Of _course_ I’m sure.” 

“Alrigh’, I’ll be dere,” Robin said, kissing Jeremy’s forehead. 

“Can we finish Rocky now?” Jeremy asked excitedly, shaking Robin a little as he bounced on the balls of his feel.

“Yeah, Shorty, whatever ya want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you're wondering why we posted at such a reasonable time it because, that's right bitches we've been up all night. Happy 8AM reading
> 
> Also! I posted the first chapter to my Fish/Levi origin story. It's called Bold That Way :)


	7. I’ll Have Ya Limpin’

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WayHaught gets a little more...comfortable with one another.  
> OH, and we meet a certain boy-man  
> Just what you needed, I know right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup fuckers  
> Here's another addition to this mess  
> WayHaught gets a lil friskay in the beginning so if that ain't ur thing, just skim it. You get a little info at the end that you might not wanna miss though  
> Enjoy

**Thursday, October 7th, 1993 8:31 AM**

Waverly let out a yawn as she moved about the dorm, getting ready for her 9 AM class since she didn’t have an 8 AM one today, thank _God_. She pulled a baggy, grey sweatshirt on and tugged some black and white checkered pants on, standing at the bathroom mirror as she pulled her hair back into a single braid. She brushed her teeth and did some lazy makeup that was really just mascara, a little powder, and some pink lip gloss before walking out and letting out another yawn before plopping down next to Chrissy on her bed. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Chrissy asked in a mumble, still buried deep under her blankets since she didn’t have class until after lunch. 

“Mm . . . Just tired.” 

Chrissy flipped over to face her, furrowing her brow. “Hey.” She poked her cheek to get her to look at her. “Talk to me.” 

Waverly shrugged again. “I just didn’t sleep that well last night.” 

“Do you know why?” 

“. . . No.”

 _“Wave.”_

Waverly pursed her lips, looking up at the ceiling and letting out a sigh, “I’m just worried.”

“About Nicole?” Chrissy questioned. 

“Yeah.”

“Well, you could go check in on her? Walk her to class maybe?” 

Waverly rolled her head to look at her. “I don't just wanna _show up_ there. That’d be weird.” 

“Well, you’re worried about her, aren’t you?” Chrissy asked with a raise of her brows, and Waverly nodded. “Then give her a _call,_ at least. Ask her then if you can see her this morning.” 

Waverly looked back up at the ceiling for a second. “You’re right.” She reached her hand over and grabbed the phone box, pulling it onto her stomach. 

“I’m always right,” Chrissy mumbled, rolling back over. 

“Shut up,” Waverly grumbled, punching the number in that she had memorized the second that she saw it. She put the phone to her ear, tapping her finger on the side of the box as it rang a couple of times. 

_“Bloody ‘ell,”_ she heard far from the end of the phone as it was fumbled around. “Who is it?” Nicole’s voice came through clearly now, though it sounded rough from sleep. 

“Hey, you,” Waverly mumbled. 

“Oh, hey, Waves.” Nicole cleared her throat and she heard some moving around. “What’s up?” 

“Nothing really . . . Did I wake you?” 

“Ya did, yeah,” she said with a little chuckle. “It’s alrigh’, t’ough. I was dreamin’ o’ ya, anyway.”

Nicole knew that was _far_ from the truth. But Waverly? Not so much. 

“Oh, were you now?” she questioned with a grin. “What was it about?” 

Nicole let out a low hum. “Now I dunno if ya wanna know dat, Love.” 

Waverly chewed the inside of her lip. “What if I do?” she asked, giving her voice a little lilt. 

She heard Nicole let out a heavy breath. _“Baby,”_ she muttered, almost in warning. 

“If I come over, will you tell me?” 

“Oh, I’ll do a whole lot more dan jus’ tell ya.” 

A huge smirk pushed onto Waverly’s face and she sat up, setting the phone box back on the nightstand. “I’ll be there in a few.” She hung it up and quickly shot off the bed, grabbing a pair of shoes and yanking them on her feet before hooking her backpack over her shoulders. 

“Use protection,” Chrissy mumbled, already half asleep again. 

“Shut _up,”_ she grumbled as she made her way towards the door. “Bye, Chris.” 

“Bye,” she said through a yawn. “Have fun.” 

Waverly shook her head at her as she closed the door, but grinned as her stomach twisted with nerves and excitement. She had no idea what was going to happen, but any moment spent with Nicole was always worth it. 

She hurried down the two flights of stairs, zipping around to the east wing and quickly tapping on her door. It opened almost instantly, and she was dragged into the room by a grinning Nicole. “Dat was fast, Love,” she chuckled, grabbing her backpack straps and pushing them off her shoulders, setting it by the wall and shoving her back against the door. 

Waverly flicked her eyes up and down Nicole’s body, seeing that she was just in a tight tank top, her shoulder's compression sleeve, and some shorts. She swallowed, looking up at her face with a nervous smile. “Can you blame me?” 

Nicole shook her head, pushing her thumbs up into the bottom of her jaw to tip up her head. “Not at all.” She dipped her head and met her lips, feeling Waverly immediately sink back into the door. 

Waverly brought her hands up, tangling into her already tangled hair as she deepened the kiss. “You’re supposed to be informing me of that dream.” 

“I am, ain’t I?” Nicole leaned down and slid her left arm under Waverly’s thighs, lifting her up and pinning her back against the door once her legs tightened around her hips. “I _believe_ it started somethin’ like dis,” she mumbled with a smirk, staring into Waverly's blown pupils that were now at eye-level. 

“Then what?” 

“Den, uh, dere was a wee bit o’ dis.” Nicole dropped her head to a low point on her neck, nudging the collar of her sweatshirt away with her nose before she began to nip and suck at the skin.

Waverly’s mouth came open a little and her head tipped back to hit the door, fisting her hand into her red hair when Nicole bucked her hips forward. “Shit,” she breathed out.

Nicole pulled away and met her eyes with a cheeky smirk. “Yeah?” Waverly didn’t answer with her words; the force she used to tug her into a kiss was enough of an answer for Nicole. She pulled her off the door, walking them over to the bed and laying her down on it. Nicole dropped on top of her, feeling Waverly’s legs hook around her hips again the second she dropped in between them. 

Waverly's hands were slipping and sliding all over her body, mostly grabbing and clawing at the skin and tank top on her back as Nicole ground into her with increasing force as a few minutes passed. Nicole’s mouth trailed down her neck just as her hand trailed down to the hem of her sweatshirt. She pulled back and met her eyes as she gently tugged up on it, smiling when Waverly gave her a little nod of consent. Nicole sat up and grabbed her hands, pulling her to do the same before removing her top, tossing it away as she leaned them back down. “After I did dat, dere was some o’ dis,” 

“Some of wha- _Oh_.” Waverly's voice cut just as Nicole moved her lips down her body, sliding her hands up to grip into the sides of her waist as she began to suck some marks into the top of her chest. Waverly let her head fall back onto the pillow with a soft moan as her back arched into her face when her teeth scraped her nipple over her bra. 

Nicole moved back up to hover over her face. “Yer t’e most beautiful ting I ever seen, Waverly Earp.” 

Waverly's cheeks flushed dark and she shook her head, rubbing her thumbs on Nicole’s cheeks. “Liar.” 

She furrowed her brows. “Nah, I swear it.”

Waverly rolled her eyes, pulling her back down to meet her lips. “Sure you do.” 

Nicole kissed down her body again, nipping at each of her collarbones hard enough to leave a bruise or two. “Believe what ya want, Love, but dat’s what I'm tellin’ ya.” 

Waverly decided to drop it, changing the subject. “What happened next?” 

Nicole continued moving down her body, letting out a low growl each time Waverly’s hand tugged up on her hair. She soothed a bite she left on Waverly's abs with her tongue, flicking her eyes up to her as she hooked her pointer and middle fingers under her pants. “Den I asked ya what ya wanted me ta do,” she mumbled with a small tip of her head in question. 

Waverly’s eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly as she looked down at her. “I . . .”

Nicole immediately recognized the look on her face. Her eyes shot open and she pulled her hands back from her, pushing herself up to hover over her face. _“Christ,_ Wave. Why didn’t ya tell me before?” Waverly roughly swallowed and wiggled out from under her body, sitting up and curling her knees up as she pressed herself into the corner where her headboard met the wall on each side, covering her face with each hand. Nicole’s brow furrowed with worry as she pushed herself to sit up in front of her, rubbing the pad of her thumb across her ankle a few times. “Hey . . .” She reached up and coaxed one of her hands away. 

“I’m sorry,” Waverly mumbled softly. 

Nicole shook her head with a soft smile. “It’s alrigh’ . . . Dere ain’t a ting ya should be sorry fer.” 

“Oh, so it’s fine that I decided not to mention that I had never done _anything_ with anyone before you?” 

Nicole’s brow furrowed. “Ya hadn’t done _anythin_ ’ before I came along?”

Waverly let out a huffed laugh at herself, mostly out of embarrassment. “I think I held some kid’s hand in, like, grade 5.”

Nicole moved to lean back against the headboard beside her, looking towards her as she hid a smirk. “I mean . . . Ya can hold me hand _now_ if ya want.” She offered her hand out. 

Waverly threw her look but took it with a laugh, shaking her head as she let her legs stretch out and pulled the hand into her lap so she could hold it with both hands. “. . . So you’re not mad?” 

“Of _course_ I’m not mad, Darlin’,” Nicole huffed. “Why would I be mad?- Why would I’ve’a _right_ ta be mad ‘bout sometin’ like dat?” 

“I dunno,” she mumbled. 

“Fer what it’s worth, yer a _damned_ good kisser.” 

Waverly looked up at her with a blush and a smile. “Well, I _do_ have a pretty good teacher.” 

Nicole scrunched her face at her a little. _"I_ personally tink yer teacher’s a feckin’ _massive_ eejit, but she's one _helluva_ ride in t’e scratcher, so I guess dat makes ya one jammy girl.” 

Waverly stared up at her, blinking a few times with a confused smile on her face. “Try that again in English, Baby.” 

Nicole’s face went red and she pursed her lips. “Shite.” 

“I’ll pick up on your Irish spews eventually, I promise. You’re just gonna have to give me a little while.” 

Nicole chuckled a little, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I _meant_ I be a dumbarse, but . . .” She slid her hand up to her jaw, tipping her head up as she rolled her lip down with her thumb and lowered the tone of her voice. “I’ll have ya limpin’ fer a day or so after I’m done with ya.” Waverly’s pupils shot wide and Nicole flashed a wolfish grin before climbing off the bed and moving towards her closet. “We can’t be late fer class now, Love. Lemme get dressed 'n we can head out.” 

Waverly stared at her as she moved to the other side of the room with wide eyes. She definitely hadn’t expected _that_ to come out of her mouth. She let out a shaky breath as she got off the bed and pulled her sweatshirt back on, looking up at Nicole just in time before she went into the bathroom to catch the wink she shot her way. 

Waverly shook her head after the door closed behind her, letting out a breath through her mouth. “Nicole Haught, you’re gonna be the death of me.”

Nicole returned a few minutes later, now in a baggy pastel pink and blue long-sleeved shirt, some black jeans, and her usual matching socks and beanie that happened to be the same color pink on her shirt. 

Waverly walked towards her, pouting her lip as she reached up and fixed the fold on the beanie. “You look _adorable_ in pink.” 

“Didja jus’ call me _adorable?”_ Nicole asked with a hitched brow. 

“I did,” she smiled as she pulled her head down, meeting her lips halfway when she stood up on her toes. “You ready?” 

Nicole grabbed her bag off the floor, handing Waverly’s to her as well. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” 

And with that, they were off to the social studies building. 

“Ew, cold,” Waverly whined the second they walked out of the dorm and hit the October air. 

“Poor ting,” Nicole mumbled, giving her a little smile as she bumped her. 

Waverly smiled back, crossing her arms to keep herself warm. “Where’re you going?” 

“Double Psych period,” she answered as she shoved her hands in her pockets. She looked towards her as a thought came to her. “Wait, what’d Chrissy say her las’ name be?” 

“Nedley,” Waverly said, but she let out a gasp and grabbed onto her arm. “Is Nedley your Psych professor?!”

Nicole chuckled with a nod. “He be me Sociology, Psychology, _and_ Philosophy professor.” 

Waverly beamed as she looked up at her. “I _love_ Nedley!”

“He’s pretty grand,” Nicole smiled. “He’s her dad, I reckon?”

“Yep,” she confirmed as Nicole grabbed the door and pulled it open for her. “Thanks.” 

“Ya're welcome.” Nicole touched the small of her back for all but a second as she walked in behind her before dropping her hand back to her side. “So what do ya do when ya aid?” she questioned, knowing Waverly was going to Dr. Holliday’s class where she aided.

“Not a whole lot,” she shrugged. “I just grade papers and make copies, stuff like that.”

“Sounds . . . fun.” 

Waverly let out a huff, smacking her arm. “Don’t _judge_ it! It’s fun!”

Nicole put her hands up a little. “I wasn’t _judging!”_

“Here, c’mon, I’ll show you.” She grabbed Nicole's hand and pulled her into the lecture hall. “Morning, Dr. Holliday!” she called to the professor. 

He spun around, giving her a smile. “Why, good mornin’, Ms. Earp!” he called back. It had slowly become a daily ritual for them to have that type of greeting every morning when she came in to aid. Waverly continued to drag Nicole towards his desk as she grabbed the tray of papers that he had left for her. “And good mornin’ to you, Haught.” 

She gave him a smile as he walked over and leaned back on his desk. “Mornin’, Doc.” 

“What’s your business bein’ in here?” he questioned with a tip of his head, knowing that she was only in his pop culture class on Tuesdays.

“Waves is tryin’ ta convince me dat what she does in ‘ere isn’t boring.” 

“It’s not!” she whined again. 

“I mean, you _are_ aiding for me so I don’t have to do the work, Little Darlin’,” Dr. Holliday pointed out. 

Waverly looked towards him with a glare before grabbing Nicole's wrist and giving it a pull, making her follow her over to the table in the front row that she sat at. Nicole sat down in the chair beside her, throwing her foot over her knee as she leaned back in the chair. 

Waverly got to work grading the stack of assignments in front of her, and Nicole continued to bug and tease her over the next few minutes. She would never tell Nicole, but she was honestly enjoying it. Nicole's annoying side was something she was quickly growing to love.

Well, there were a lot of things about her that she was quickly growing to love, but she was choosing to _not_ think about all of them at this moment. 

“Ya missed one,” Nicole mumbled with a smirk on her lips as she graded one. 

“What?”

“A question.”

“No, I _didn’t_. Shut up.” 

“I’m _tellin’_ ya, ya missed one, Love.” 

Waverly rolled her eyes as she took a drink from her water bottle to hide her smile, but Nicole smacked the bottom of it, making her spill some water down her front. Her eyes widened and she let out a whine of complaint as she looked towards her. _“Ba-”_ She cut herself off before she finished that pet name, glancing at Dr. Holliday and sitting forward with a groan while wiping the excess water to the floor. 

Nicole let out a snort, raising her brows at her. “Come again?” 

“You’re an _asshole,_ Bub.” 

_“Bub?_ Didja jus’ _Bub_ me?” 

“Yeah, _Bub_ , I did,” she confirmed, leaning towards her with a cheeky grin as she nudged her glasses up her nose. “And I’m gonna continue to cause I think it’s cute.” 

Nicole let out a sigh as her cheeks tinted pink. “I guess I deserve dat.” 

“What?” Waverly asked as she scooted her chair back forward and got back to work. “Do you not think it’s cute?” 

“Darlin’, _anytin’_ dat comes outta yer mouth is c-”

“Get outta my seat.” 

Nicole turned her head, looking up at the tall, tattooed _boy-man_ with a baby face glaring down at her. He was in a _far_ too tight white t-shirt and some skinny jeans that were _surely_ cutting the circulation off to his goods. The amount of grease in his hair could shine a car, but by the looks of it, he could have already used some of it to shine the leather jacket that was thrown over his shoulder. Nicole cocked a brow, almost laughing at his attempt to put on a _hardass_ face. “I’m positive dere’s another seat ya can sit yerself in fer today, Mate.” 

The boy-man let out a single laugh. “What are you? Scottish? You sound like a fuckin’ leprechaun.” 

Nicole could almost see her brain from how hard her eyes rolled back in her head. _“Irish,_ ya feckin’ amadán. Leprechauns’re Irish anyway.” 

His eyes hardened on her. _“Same difference,”_ he grumbled in a voice that was tipping close to a growl. “I don’t give a shit what _continent_ you’re from. You’re in _my_ seat, so _beat_ it.” 

“Champ,” Waverly mumbled with a pleading look, begging for him to just let it go for today. 

“You know this twat?” Nicole asked, turning her head to look at her. 

_“What_ did you just call me?” Champ demanded, bringing Nicole’s attention back to him. 

“Ya heard me,” she huffed. “Or can ya not understand me _continent’s_ accent?” 

Champ’s lip twitched and he flicked his eyes to Waverly. “Waves, I really _don’t_ think you need to be hanging out with these types of people.” 

Waverly _was_ going to defend her, but it seemed that Nicole had beat her to it. She shot out of her chair and took a quick step towards him to get in his face, grabbing him by the front of the shirt. _“You,_ Sir, have _no right_ ta decide who she does and doesn't hang out with, so yer either gonna _move_ somewhere else or I’m gonna _move_ ya. _Take_ yer bloody pick.” 

Champ looked _up_ at her in fear because, _yes,_ she had a _solid_ three inches on him. His mouth hung open for a few seconds before he could even _think_ about speaking as he looked into the eyes that were burning holes through him. 

Nicole felt small hands, one pushing against her stomach and the other pulling at the hand she had gripped into his shirt. She let go of Champ and looked down at Waverly, gritting her teeth as she let out a heavy breath. Now released, the boy-man did the _smartest_ thing and quickly fucked off to find himself a new seat for the day. Waverly slid her hands to rest on the front of her waist, rubbing her thumbs across her stomach. “He’s just another asshole, Baby. Calm down.”

“Ya have ta be a _mighty_ arsehole ta be called _Champ,”_ she growled under her breath, her eyes staying fixed on him as he took a seat in the very back of the lecture hall. She looked back down at Waverly, pursing her lips and rubbing her hands up and down her face a few times. “I’m sorry . . . Dat was- I shouldn’t’ve.” 

Waverly shook her head, giving her a small smile. “It’s ok. He deserved it.”

Nicole let out a sigh as her nerves finally started to settle. “Alrigh’.” She looked up at the clock on the wall, seeing that she had about 4 minutes to get to the other side of the building where her class was at. “I’m gonna head off, aye?” She reached down, wincing a little as she placed her hand on her knee after grabbing her backpack to help push herself back upright. 

“Ok,” Waverly mumbled, having noticed her previous action. “I’ll see you at the diner.” 

Nicole threw the strap over her good shoulder, giving her a smile as she turned away. “See ya den.” 

**11:12 AM**

Waverly pushed at an ice cube in her water with her straw as she sat at the booth, almost shitting herself when Nicole plopped down in the seat in front of her. _“Jesus Christ, Nicole_!” 

She winced a little. “Sorry, Love.” 

Waverly brushed it off with a laugh. “Took you long enough.” 

“Ya, I got caught up chattin’ with Nedley after t’e lesson,” she said with a sigh, taking a sip out of the coffee mug that had already been sitting there. _“Bloody_ good coffee ‘ere.” 

“Yeah?” Waverly asked with a chuckle. 

“Mhm,” she mumbled with a smile, wrapping her fingers around the warm mug to take the chill off her hands. 

“Ok,” Waverly sighed. “Did you bring those papers with you?”

“I did.” Nicole unzipped her bag and pulled out a folder, plopping it open in front of her and handing her the trig worksheet and the humanities essay. “I tink t’e trig is good cause I be good at math, but . . .” Her cheeks reddened. “I’m not so sure ‘bout t’e essay, t’ough.” 

Waverly nodded, deciding to check over the math first then since she assumed it wouldn’t take her as long. _“Jeez,_ your handwriting is bad,” she muttered. 

_“Ouch,”_ Nicole winced. 

The waitress came by and took their lunch order before heading off again, already having to give Nicole a coffee refill. Nicole watched in wonder as Waverly did all kinds of math in her head- math that she knew _she_ had to use a calculator for. She didn’t even know that she was staring at her with her mouth open until Waverly glanced up, doing a double-take and cocking her head at her. “What?” 

“How d’ya do dat?” Nicole asked quietly. 

“Do what?” 

“All dat math in yer head.” 

“Oh . . . When I was in grade school, I didn’t have a lot of friends cause I was an _Earp_ or a _nerd_ or whatever, so I thought if I learned how to do all kinds of math and did people’s homework for them, it would make people like me, but . . .” She shrugged with a swallow, looking back down at the paper as she checked over the last couple of questions. “It didn’t.”

Nicole’s brow dipped sadly and she bumped her foot under the table with her own. “I’m sorry, Baby. Dat’s horrible.”

Waverly shook her head, handing her math back with a smile. “It's alright. I’ve got my people now. Those are all good, by the way.” 

“T’anks, Love.” Nicole shoved it back in her folder, pushing it to the side and propping her elbows up on the table. “Alrigh’, what’re we doin’ ‘bout t’e study situation?” 

Waverly looked up at her as she took a drink. “I was thinking we do stuff like this when we have lunch together. You let me look over your stuff or ask questions on whatever. And then maybe after classes on Wednesdays, we take an hour or so? It’s the only day I’m free after my three PM classes throughout the week, so.” 

Nicole nodded, taking a sip of her coffee as she relaxed back in her seat. “Works fer me.”

“Yeah?” 

“I mean, any extra time with ya be time well spent, so any excuse ta hang is grand,” Nicole said with a grin. Waverly’s cheeks flushed and she shook her head as she began reading over the essay, her brow slowly furrowing after skimming over the first paragraph. Nicole tipped her head in confusion. “What?”

Waverly lifted her head to look at her with a huff, “Bub, this is barely _English._ You have it all _Irishified._ How’s your teacher supposed to understand it if _I_ barely can?” 

The smirk that pushed onto Nicole’s face was _definitely_ not the reaction that she expected. 

“Do ya know who me Humanities teacher is?” 

“I didn’t even know Humanities was a _class,_ so no,” she mumbled, still trying to figure out why this was amusing. 

“It’s Dr. Ripper. He’s English,” Nicole chuckled. “He can understand me blabberin’.” 

Waverly’s lip lifted as she squinted her eyes to try and put a face to the name since she _knew_ she had heard it before. “Dr. Ripper . . .” She let out a gasp. “Is he the one that wears those really old-fashioned suits all the time?” 

“I believe so, yeah,” Nicole answered with a laugh. “Are ya really stickin ta callin’ me Bub?” 

“I am!” Waverly giggled with a large grin. “It’s cute _and_ it makes my heart happy.” 

Nicole let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head with a smile as her cheeks blushed and looking up at the waitress as she dropped their food off. “Cheers, Love.” The woman gave her a smile, topping off her coffee one last time before turning away. 

“You’re gonna be bouncing off the walls if you keep drinking so much coffee.” 

Nicole kicked her good leg a few times with a happy hum. “Dat’s me plan.” 

Waverly finished skimming her essay, shaking her head at her. “I said it once, I’ll say it again. _You,_ Nicole Haught, are adorable.” 

Her cheeks blushed dark as she shoved a bite in her mouth. “No I ain’t.”

Waverly rolled her eyes, but she let out a gasp. “Oh! I was gonna ask you something!”

“Ask away,” Nicole smiled. 

“So next Monday’s Thanksgiving, and Rosie, Jer, and I had our own little Friendsgiving last year. This year, Chrissy’s able to go cause we’re having it on Saturday instead, so I was wondering if you had plans already or not?” 

“We ain’t gotta Tanksgivin’ in Ireland, so me ‘n Robbie were jus’ plannin’ on gettin’ more prepared fer midterms ‘n like,” she said with a shrug. “So, no, I don’t.” 

“Do you wanna come with me then? It’ll be the last time I’ll be able to see you until that Tuesday cause Chrissy and I are going home together this year. Plus I know everyone likes you anyway, so they’d love to have you there almost as much as I will. You can even invite Robin if you want.” 

Nicole slowly nodded into her coffee mug. “I’ll have ta talk with 'em ‘bout it first, but I’d love ta come.” 

It was Waverly’s turn to kick her legs excitedly. “Yay!” she beamed with a happy clap.

Nicole heart eyes flashed as she leaned her cheek on her palm with a sigh, “And ya say _I’m_ t’e adorable one.” 

**4:12 PM**

Nicole picked at her nails, glancing up at the clock on the wall with an exhale. She was waiting outside the library for Waverly because she knew she was tutoring in there, but Waverly was taking an _awful_ long time to get out of there.

And for _some_ reason, there was a pit in her stomach.

Her father had taught her from before she could remember that all Haught’s went by their gut’s intuition.

And her gut was telling her that she needed to go in there. 

But.

She respected Waverly’s privacy. She wasn’t about to be that overprotective arsehole that was _constantly_ bugging her every three seconds. Hell, she didn’t even know if she should be here waiting for her to get out of the library in the first place, but here she was. 

Nicole let out a sigh, reaching down and picking her bag up off of the floor and shaking her head at herself as she pushed off the wall. She'd knew this girl for not even a _week_ and she was already going to make her feel trapped with how fast she was trying to draw their relationship together. 

Speaking of feeling trapped. 

She glanced through the library window for just a second as she passed it and her eyes widened in shock.

Her old man was right. Haught’s really _did_ need to go by their gut. 

Through the window, she saw that Waverly was being forced back against the table she had been sitting at by none other than _Champ,_ who was standing in front of her with his hands pressed against the ledge on either side of her body. 

“Dat be a dead man, I _swear_ it,” Nicole growled as she dropped her bag right outside the door and eased herself into the room. 

“Champ, please. I’m really not interested, ok?” Waverly tried to reason, but it seemed the boy-man was _not_ having it. 

“C’mon, Waves. It’ll be fun. You, me, a bottle of whiskey, and my bed. _All_ to ourselves.” 

Waverly tried to push against his chest, leaning back when he got closer to her face. “I said I don’t want to,” she said a little more sternly, but it didn’t come out with any less shake than her previous words did. “Just let me go. Please? Before someone walks in here and sees you.” 

He opened his mouth to say something else, but he was immediately ripped away from Waverly and shoved backward with enough force to almost send him to the floor. “It’s a wee bit late fer dat,” Nicole growled. “And I _believe_ she told ya ta let her go.” 

Champ traced his wide eyes across her red and angered face, but his own features angered as he took a few quick steps towards her and shoved her back. “I don’t think anyone asked for _your_ opinion, Bitch.” 

Nicole kept her balance, snarling as she started towards him and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him backwards until his back slammed into the wall. “When I hear ya tryin’ ta pressure a girl into the sack with ya, me _t’oughts_ on t’e matter don’t need ta be asked fer!” She roughed him up some more, pulling him back and slamming him up against the wall again with her arm across his throat. 

_“Nicole,”_ Waverly warned from behind her as Champ tried to pull her arm away. 

Nicole looked back at her with a clenched jaw, then meeting Champ’s wide eyes again with another growl as she pulled him off the wall and grabbed him by the back of the neck, driving his body forward and smacking his face against the table with one of his wrists pinned _painfully_ behind his back. “Listen ‘ere, _Champ._ If I ever hear dat yer _muppet arse_ made her uncomfortable in _any_ way _ever_ again, Ima _puck_ ya ‘ta a new oblivion.” She jerked up on his wrist, getting a loud groan out of him. “Are we clear?!” 

He let out another groan. “Yeah! I’ve got it!” 

She stood up straight and let go of him, chest heaving as she pointed towards the door. “Ya best leg it t’e _fuck_ outta ‘ere, Boy.” Champ seethed as he reached across the table and grabbed his bag, turning and knocking her roughly on the right shoulder as he passed her and made his way out of the library. 

Nicole waited until she was sure he was gone to let out a few winced curses as she placed her hand over her shoulder, looking towards Waverly and walking towards her wide eyes. “Are ya alrigh’?” she asked softly, grabbing her hand and rubbing her thumb across the top of it when she saw that no one else was around. 

Waverly stared up at her with her mouth opened for a second before she nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.” 

“Ya sure?” Nicole questioned. 

Waverly pulled her hand out of Nicole’s as she turned and moved around the table to grab her things. “I’m sure, Nicole.” She pushed it all in her bag and zipped it up as she looked up at her. “I, uh, I’m sorry. I really gotta get to work. I’m already running late.” 

Nicole’s brow dipped. “Ya have a job?” 

“Yeah . . .” Waverly said slowly while she pushed her glasses up her nose and walked around the table towards her. “I’m an assistant to the Dean. I organize students’ files and stuff. That’s why I’m only free after school on Wednesdays, I told you that.” 

“Oh. Yeah,” Nicole mumbled, scratching the back of her neck. Something was off with Waverly and she was almost sure it was because of what she did. “I’ll leave ya to it den.” 

Waverly nodded with a forced smile, taking a step towards her and pressing her hand against her stomach as she stood up on her toes to press a quick kiss to her cheek. “I’ll see you later, Bub. Hope your shoulder feels better.” 

Nicole watched her as she moved past her, furrowing her brow sadly. “See ya, Wave.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...


	8. I’m An Absolute Delight Ta Be ‘Round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy has an anxious day after his roommate chucked his R2-D2 into a wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nervous jeremy incoming

**Friday, October 8th, 1993 6:02 AM**

For the first time in a long time, Jeremy didn’t wake up because of a nightmare jolting him back into reality. Instead, it was the sound of his roommate throwing things.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jeremy groaned, rubbing his eyes to try and see through the darkness. 

“Whassit to you?” his roommate slurred, chucking an unseen object at a spot above Jeremy’s head. 

“Hey!” he yelled, scrambling out of bed and turning on a light to see the ten or eleven beer cans littering the floor of their dorm and a broken R2-D2 action figure scattered on his bed. “What’s your problem, man? Someone’s gonna call the RA on us if you keep this up,” he grumbled, collecting the broken pieces and setting them on his nightstand.

“Lettem come!” he yelled, chucking an empty beer can at the wall and grabbing another out of a box on the floor. “Dumb hoes think they can just-” he growled, stumbling over himself. 

Jeremy sighed and took the beer from his hands and grabbed his arm, leading him to his bed. “Time to go to sleep, bud,” he mumbled, struggling to get the 6 foot, babbling man into his bed. His roommate face planted, his face buried into the pillow and his body going limp immediately. 

“Girls ar’dumb…” he trailed, drifting to sleep already. “Just-”

Jeremy didn’t know if he’d said anything after that because he’d started packing up the beer cans and an almost entirely empty bottle of whiskey from the floor. He put it all into a small box before starting to get ready. 

When he went into the bathroom, he found that he was still dressed in Robin’s clothes from the day before. He smiled, thinking about all of the events that had taken place and took a breath into the shirt, still able to smell the linger scent of weed and vanilla. 

He washed his face and did his best to contain his curls, finding one section of hair that would not be tamed no matter what he put on it. “Whatever,” he grumbled, moving to his dresser to find a pair of khaki pants and his third favorite pair of socks, also known as his Friday socks because of the planets all over them and the fact that he only wore them to his extra credit opportunity for Astronomy on Fridays. He paused at his closet, opting to just pull a hoodie on over Robin’s shirt rather than changing out of it.

Jeremy shoved some materials into his satchel and gently took the R2-D2’s legs, head, and body along with some glue and a screwdriver so he could work on fixing it between flashcards. Last, he grabbed his keys, Batman wallet, and the box of alcohol and left the dorm to his roommate, hoping that he wouldn’t be as aggressive with his things when he woke up. 

He found Waverly’s dorm on the third floor and set the box in front of it with a flashcard that read, ‘Save for a better time, -Jer’. He knew that his roommate would be pissed if he knew that Jeremy had taken his booze, but there was a better chance that he would just assume he’d drank them all before he passed out which was better for all involved.

Jeremy sighed as he made his way out of the building, pulling R2-D2 out of his bag and staring down sadly at his dismantled body. “I’m sorry, Artoo. I’ll put you back together later,” he mumbled, starting to really examine the damages. 

By the time he’d gotten to the other side of the campus, his hope for repair had grown weak. The joints were bent and snapped in all the wrong places along with some other things that he wasn’t sure he could fix himself. 

A light whistle in his direction caused Jeremy to pause, glancing up and finding the lights of the Muffin Man sign lighting up in his face. He looked around, confused on how he’d managed to get so far without realizing it.

“Aye, Shorty!” Robin said, poking his head out of the alley. “What’s yer problem? Didn’t even look fer me today!” Jeremy shuffled into the alley with him. “What’s dat ting?” he asked. 

Jeremy looked back down at R2-D2 and then up at Robin, sure that his face showed some kind of worry and frustration on it. “R2-D2,” he muttered, holding out his midsection for Robin to look at.

“I t’ought he had legs or someting,” Robin said, taking it in his massive man hands. Jeremy frowned and pulled the rest of him out of his satchel, handing it to Robin. “What’d ya do to him?” 

Jeremy glared at Robin. “ _I_ didn’t do anything to him!”

Robin’s eyes widened at Jeremy's sudden raise of tone. “Me bad, didn’t mean ta offend.” 

Jeremy shook his head and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “I know… I’m sorry.” 

Robin sighed and pressed a kiss to Jeremy’s temple since it was just 6:30 and the sun hadn’t even started to come up yet so they knew that no one would be walking past for at least thirty minutes if not more. “It’s alrigh’, Shorty, don’t fret over it. What happened to ‘em?” 

Jeremy leaned into his chest and Robin gently pushed his fingers through his hair. “My roommate threw him at my head when I woke up.”

“Why would he do dat?” Robin asked, suddenly worried. “He wasn’t tryin’ to hurt ya, was he?”

Jeremy shrugged. “I don’t know. He does things like that sometimes. But my mom got me this one for my birthday a couple months before she died and I’m not sure that I can fix him.”

“Yer a chemistry major that helps people pass practically any class, and yer actually one o’ t’e smartest humans I’ve ever met ‘n ya don’t tink ya can put a couple pieces of plastic and metal back together?” Robin asked, looking down at Jeremy’s pout. “I’m sure dat if anyone on dis campus could do it, it’ll be ya, Shorty.”

“You think so?” Jeremy questioned, looking back to the pieces laid out in Robin’s hand.

“I know so,” Robin assured, pressing a soft kiss to Jeremy’s lips. He helped place R2-D2 back in Jeremy’s bag before pulling a joint and a lighter out of his pocket. Jeremy watched intently as he took a drag and released from the corner of his mouth so it didn’t go into Jeremy’s face. Robin repressed a smirk, noticing that Jeremy was watching again and offered him a hit. 

Jeremy shook his head. “I’m good.” 

“You sure?” Robin asked, still holding it out.

“Yeah,” Jeremy said, watching Robin take the joint to his lips and take a second drag. 

Robin smiled, this time blowing the smoke in Jeremy’s direction just to watch it swarm in face. Jeremy closed his eyes, letting it surround him and get pushed away by the wind before he opened his eyes again. 

“Just so you know,” Robin said, eyes tracing down Jeremy’s figure. “Nic noticed t’e marks ya left on me.”

Jeremy coughed out a laugh. “How’d that go?”

“She accidently pulled a towel off of me and den told her entire family about it.” 

Jeremy stood on his toes and pecked his cheek, grinning wildly. “You’re welcome.”

Robin shook his head. “Ya shouldn’t be so cocky, Shorty,” he muttered, getting close to Jeremy’s ear. “Cause t’e next time I get ya alone in me gaff, yer gonna pay fer dis.” Robin’s eyes flicked down Jeremy’s face and then to his neck. He looped a finger around the front of his hoodie and pulled it forward. “Never changed, eh?”

Jeremy blushed, looking away. “I- uh…” 

Robin tipped his head up with his thumb and kissed him again. “I get it. Can’t get away from me.” His hand trailed down Jeremy’s front and then to his arm, picking it up and checking the time on his watch. “Break’s over, Shorty.”

Jeremy watched him turn to go in through the backdoor and his eyes trailed down to Robin’s ass. “Hey,” he called, following Robin a few paces. Robin turned just in time for Jeremy to slap his ass and shoot him a stupid grin. “Nicole’s jeans look good on you.”

**7:45 AM**

“Bya, Rosie Roo,” Robin called, coming out of the kitchen with his apron covered in flour. He leaned down and kissed her cheek and rubbed some flour on her in the process. “I’ll be here pretty early to start on pies.” 

“You’re a _child_!” she called after him when he hopped the counter and moved to Jeremy’s table where he’d managed to get seven sets of flashcards done in the hour he’d been there. 

“Would ya like ta walk ta class with me, Shorty?” Robin asked politely, moving to take off his apron and trade it with a cardigan he pulled from the satchel Jeremy hadn’t realized he’d brought out from the kitchen. 

“Is that your cardigan carrier?” Jeremy teased.

Robin raised an eyebrow. “Ya wanna come with me or not?”

Jeremy smiled and shut the notebook he’d be staring at. “I’d love to.”

He packed his satchel, making sure to be careful of the piece of his action figure as he did so. They both waved to Rosita as they left and she just shook her head, scrubbing at the flour boot print that Robin had left when he’d hopped the counter.

“Are ya still sad over Mr. Robot?” Robin asked, bumping Jeremy with his arm when he noticed his eyebrows furrowing in sadness.

“R2-D2,” Jeremy corrected. “And kind of, but I’m just thinking about things.”

“What kind o’ tings?”

Jeremy shrugged. “I’m just worried that I’m getting distracted.”

“Because o’ me?” Robin asked.

“With a lot of things,” Jeremy corrected. “I’m distracted from _classes_ with the flashcards, I’m distracted from the _flashcards_ with trying to maintain a social life, and I’m distracted from _that_ with midterms. I’ve also got study groups, extra credit, and tutoring sessions. Not to mention attempting to keep my anxiety under control all the time and trying to sleep between it all and I’m sure that I’m rambling again-” 

“Yer okay,” Robin assured. “Do ya need help with anyting?”

“No... I just need time, I guess. I was planning on catching up on flashcards during lunch today, but then I promised Fish that I’d help Levi with Algebra after my last class- Oh _shit_! I forgot about the AP Chemistry midterm study group at 5… I’ll just have to cut my time with Levi so I can make it and then I’ve got-”

Robin pulled the door to the math building open while he listened to Jeremy list the things he needed to get done and followed him into their lecture hall and leaned against the table in front of where Jeremy had sat.

“Chetri!” someone said, walking up with a stack of cash in their hand. “Six flashcard sets?”

Jeremy opened a notebook filled with lines and lines of orders and prices and checked to see what he was supposed to be getting for the person who’d approached. He pulled three other notebooks out and five stacks of flashcards.

“I’ll have the Anatomy set done by lunch,” he told them, crossing something out of his own notebook.

“You said you’d have them done by now,” the person grumbled.

“I know- I just haven’t had time. Those are the next one my list.” 

They leaned down, glaring at Jeremy. “Have them done by the end of class or you’re not getting your money for any of them.”

Jeremy sighed and glanced at his Calc notebook, but pulled out a fresh stack of cards anyways. “Yeah… sure.”

Robin scoffed. “If yer gonna be like dat, yer gonna give him back t’e cards he already made ya, aye?”

“Who the hell are you?” the person laughed, looking up at Robin.

“All I’m sayin’ is that it’s not fair for ya ta take all the cards he already made for ya and not pay just ‘cause he didn’t have one when ya wanted it.” 

“I do what I want.” 

Robin tilted his head in confusion at the person’s utter ignorance. “Ya quite literally _cannot_ do dat.”

“It’s fine!” Jeremy said loudly so they’d both stop. “They’ll be done by the end of class.”

“And what if they’re not?”

“They will be,” Jeremy insisted. “But if you want it done, you can’t just stand here. Please, go somewhere else.”

The person shot a glare at Robin before going to sit back down where their friends were waiting for them. 

“Did I upset ya?” Robin asked quietly while Jeremy started reading through the content of an Anatomy notebook. 

“No- I just need time to work on this,” Jeremy mumbled, not looking up from the notebook. 

“Alrigh’, I’ll leave ya to it den, I s’pose.”

Jeremy stayed silent, working on making sure that the flashcards didn’t look as rushed as they were. Robin pursed his lips and moved to go take a seat at the front of the room. Throughout the first half of the class, Jeremy ignored Dr. Tate the chainsmoker and Waverly, who would occasionally whisper something to him or ask if he was okay when the professor would have her coughing fits, giving the class a minute or two to catch up on the notes that she was going through too fast. 

When he’d finished up on the last card it was just after 8:45. Dr. Tate was lighting up a cigarette and there was a formula he hadn’t seen before being projected onto the front of the room. He rubber banded the flashcards and reached for his Calc notebook he’d pulled out earlier just to find that it wasn’t where he’d left it. 

“Where’s my notebook?” Jeremy whispered to Waverly.

“Oh now you’re talking to me?” she deadpanned, continuing her notes in one of her many colorful pens.

Jeremy groaned, searching through his satchel for the notebook and not finding it among any of his things. “You didn’t see it when you sat down?”

“You’ve got things everywhere most of the time. I’ve stopped paying attention to what you’ve got out,” she said with a sigh as she glanced up at the front again. “I’ll let you copy my notes later.”

He nodded and leaned back, trying not to worry about it and assuming that he’d just left it in his dorm. This was the first time he’d ever not been so distracted taking notes that he’d taken time to look around and observe the other students. Several of them he recognized because they’d bought from him before or they were in some of his study groups. 

There was a couple making out in the corner and another glaring at each other on the other from the other side of the room. Another guy kept shooting spitballs at one of the older girls in the class while she held out her middle finger and continued to take notes.

He found Robin amongst them all. He was spread out, one leg on the table in front of him and the other pulled towards his chest, being used as a stand for his notes. Jeremy shook his head, a small smile on his face. Gays really don’t know how to sit in chairs correctly. 

Jeremy found his mind wandering, thinking about all of the things that he’d told Robin in the last few days. About his mom and Bailey and the boy’s home. He hadn’t even told Waverly about some of it and he’d told her most of his life story. 

“Hey,” Waverly whispered, rubbing his back when Dr. Tate paused again. “Take a breath. You’re drifting.”

His eyes trailed to meet her’s and he realized that he’d started to scratch at his arms like he did when he was close to an anxiety attack. He frowned at the realization and turned to his collection of bracelets on his other arm and began fidgeting with those instead.

“Y’all can pack up!” Dr. Tate rasped from the front as she continued through a particularly bad coughing spell. “Midterms in a couple weeks and whatnot. More information coming soon!” 

The person from earlier made their way to Jeremy, their already made cards and their stack of cash in their hands. Jeremy traded them their new set of Anatomy cards for the money and quickly packed everything else up. 

“What’s going on?” Waverly asked him. “Is it because I snapped at you? If it is, I’m really sorry… It’s just, something hap-”

“I’ve got to get to a double Physics lab,” Jeremy cut her off, throwing his satchel over his shoulder and making his way through the crowded hall before she had a chance to ask him any more questions. 

**10:37 AM**

The Physics lab had ended early and Jeremy hadn’t felt physically present for most of it. He was drifting, as Waverly always called it. His mind had been practically everywhere _but_ on the lab he was supposed to be working on. He’d copied all of the information down and done his part, but he knew all of it had been a repetition of actions he’d done before. 

He decided that with the extra twenty minutes he had had for his hour lunch break, he’d finish the last four sets of flashcards and maybe start working on his R2-D2 since that had been the reason his mood had spiraled to begin with. 

“Sit wherever you want,” the waitress called to him as he entered the diner.

Jeremy forced a smile and moved to sit in a booth at the very back of the relatively empty diner. He pulled out the remainder of the materials for the orders and also set R2-D2’s dismantled body on the table along with the screwdriver and glue he’d brought with him. 

“Hi there, my name's Kennedy and I’ll be your server today. Can I start you out with something to drink?” 

Jeremy glanced up at the guy holding a notepad to take his order. He was wearing a Star Wars shirt and a pair of horn rimmed glasses. He noticed a rainbow flag pin on his apron and met Kennedy’s eyes again. “I like your pin.”

Kennedy beamed at him. “And I love your R2-D2. Planning on fixing him up, I hope.”

“That’s the goal,” Jeremy said, smiling a little. “Can I get a black coffee and just a basket of fries?”

“Vegan?” Kennedy asked.

Jeremy nodded. “What gave it away?”

“Animal rights pin on your satchel, which is super cute by the way,” Kennedy said, patting Jeremy’s shoulder. “I’ll be right out with the coffee.”

“Thanks,” Jeremy said, watching Kennedy walk away, his eyes catching the roll of the cuffs of his pants and his Star Wars socks poking out of the top of his shoes. 

He started on his next set of flashcards for Earth Science, occasionally glaring at the limp legs of his fallen action figure. By the time he’d finished that set, it was just past 11 AM and he’d eaten most of the french fries that Kennedy had brought out for him. 

“Whatcha working on?” the waiter asked him, moving to refill his coffee. 

“Flashcards for midterms,” Jeremy said, forcing himself to stay focused on the cards.

“You take engineering?” Kennedy asked, obviously surprised.

Jeremy flipped a page in the notebook he was reading from and started on the next card. “No, I’m making flashcards for other people… it’s a business.”

“Interesting,” Kennedy said, taking one of the cards in his hands and observing it.

“Not really,” Jeremy said, taking the card and adding it to the top of the stack he’d just finished. “It’s a means to an end.” 

Kennedy looked surprised at Jeremy’s sudden bluntness. “You’re kinda mysterious…” 

Jeremy glanced up and furrowed his eyebrows. “Am I?”

“For sure,” Kennedy chuckled. “I’ll go get your ticket unless you want anything else.”

“Another basket of fries?” Jeremy asked, glancing at his now empty basket.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

Jeremy looked back down at the table that was now covered in notebooks, papers, pens, flashcards that he’d messed up on, and other supplies he’d been using. He groaned, starting to organize it all a little better, knowing full well that this was why he’d lost his Calc notebook to begin with. 

“Hey, Jer!” Waverly called, waving at him from across the diner.

He forced a smile, trying to shove some of his things into his satchel. “Hi…”

“How was your Physics lab?” she asked, moving to his table, Nicole trailing behind her with her hands shoved deep in her jacket pockets.

“Uneventful,” Jeremy mumbled, starting on a set of flashcards for a Russian language class. 

“Can we sit with you?” Waverly asked.

Jeremy shrugged. “I can’t stop you.” 

“C’mon Wave, we don’t wanna bother ‘em,” Nicole urged, grabbing at Waverly’s hand to pull her to another booth.

“No,” she huffed. “He doesn’t mind. Do you, Jer?” 

Jeremy continued on his flashcards, not really paying attention to what she’d asked him. “Whatever works.”

“See, sit down,” Waverly said, glancing at Nicole with a raise of her eyebrows.

“Ladies first,” Nicole sighed, gesturing at the booth. 

Waverly threw her bag into the inside of the booth and scooted into it, leaving plenty of room for Nicole to join her, but Nicole hesitated, glancing at the empty seat next to Jeremy. 

“I don’t suggest sitting here unless you want to sit on the inside,” he mumbled. Nicole sighed and chose instead to suck up whatever she was feeling and sat next to Waverly anyway. 

“Hiya ladies, I’m Kennedy. Can I start you off with something to drink?” he asked, setting Jeremy’s fries down next to him.

“Half and half,” Waverly said, smiling at the waiter.

“Jus’ a black coffee.”

“You vegan too?” Kennedy asked, grinning at Jeremy.

Nicole shrugged. “Vegetarian… how’d ya figure?”

“I just assumed since you got the same as him.”

“I didn’t know ya was vegan, Jeremy,” Nicole said.

Jeremy didn’t respond, too busy in the middle of some rough translations. 

“I’ll be right out with those.” Kennedy smiled, walking to the back.

Nicole crossed her ankles under the table, picking at her fingers as she looked towards Waverly timidly. She caught her eye, raising her brows. “What?” 

She pursed her lips at her tone, but asked anyway, “T’e feck is half ‘n half?” 

“It’s a tea,” she informed. “Half tea, half lemonade.” 

“Oh.” She looked back forward, watching Jeremy write for a few seconds. 

“Would you _stop_ that?” Waverly huffed, grabbing her hand and pulling it away from where she was picking at her other thumb. “Your finger’s _bleeding_.” 

Nicole looked down at her hand, seeing that the hangnail was actually bleeding now. “Oh... sorry.”

She pressed her thumb against it for a few seconds to hopefully stop the bleeding. “What’s your problem, huh? You’ve been _weird_ since we met after class.” 

“I dunno, Waverly, maybe ya’d know if ya would’ve _listened_ ta me and sat at another table so we could _fuckin_ ’ talk about-”

“Black coffee and half and half for the ladies,” Kennedy interrupted, setting down their drinks. “What can I get y’all to eat?”

“Jus’ t’e coffee’s good, Mate,” Nicole mumbled. 

“Get something,” Waverly huffed, tapping her thigh. 

“I don’t _want_ anytin’.” 

“Then _why_ did you want to have lunch together?” 

“Did I _not_ jus’ say so we could talk? I’m _bloody_ sure dat’s what I jus’ said-”

“Would you two _shut up_ ?” Jeremy snapped. “I’m already a nervous wreck as it is and you’re _not_ helping. I can’t get any work done like this. If you came here to hash something out, maybe Nicole was right when she said you should get another table.”

“Want me to come back?” Kennedy asked quietly.

Jeremy glared at him. “Maybe that’s a good idea.”

“Sorry,” Waverly muttered, looking down at what Jeremy was writing. “How are the flashcards?”

“Fine,” he spat, rubberbanding the set of Russian vocab. “I’ve got one more and then I’m sure a bunch of orders will come in.”

“They always do,” Waverly said, frowning. She glanced at R2-D2. “What happened to him?”

“He got thrown at a wall.”

“Oh…” she trailed.

Nicole picked up his middle and looked him over. “Poor ting.” 

Waverly yanked it out of her hands. “You’re gonna _break_ it,” she huffed. 

“Looks like _dat’s_ been done already, Love,” she grumbled, flicking her eyes to the mess of other body parts on the table.

Jeremy plucked the body out of Waverly’s hands and set it on the table gently, shooting both of them a “Don’t you start” kind of look. 

“Are ya gonna fix him?” Nicole questioned.

“Hopefully,” Jeremy said, looking at it again.

“I tink ya can. Mr. Robot ain’t done fer, I can feel it.”

“His _name_ is R2-D2!” Jeremy cried, starting to shove things into his bag. His breathing became ragged and he could feel his heart rate increase drastically. Jeremy knew he was one wrong move away from a full anxiety attack.

Kennedy was on his way over when Jeremy started fumbling with R2-D2’s parts. “Ticket?”

“Yeah,” he said, getting up from the table and taking the ticket to the register to pay.

“You alright there?” Kennedy asked, following him to the register to check him out.

Jeremy cringed, losing one of the legs and dropping it onto the counter, but he took a breath and managed to keep it together for a least a moment longer. Kennedy held out his hand and grabbed it. “Here,” he said, pulling out a bag, helping Jeremy place the pieces into it. 

“Thanks…” Jeremy murmured, pulling out his wallet and handing him some cash. “Keep the change.” 

“Have a good day, Jeremy,” Kennedy said, handing him the receipt with a phone number scribbled onto the bottom of it. “If you need someone to talk to…” 

Jeremy nodded, taking the bag and leaving. He sighed, knowing that he had a double Chemistry lab with his favorite professor, but he was also the professor that spiked Jeremy’s anxiety higher than any other just because of the amount of pure energy he radiated. Dr. B may create a fun environment on the good days, but sometimes his urges to throw things and scream were just a bit too much. 

He took a long path towards the Science building to attempt to clear his head and for the most part his breathing regulated and he no longer felt so close to the edge. 

He found the door that has a sign on it that read: “Doctor B. Bubba - Chemistry”.

**1:42 PM**

After B Dr. had gotten a little too excited and thrown a beaker at a student, the Chemistry lab ended ten minutes early. Most students chose to go on to their next classes, but Jeremy was only waiting for the class in the next lecture hall over to release so he could head inside.

He wandered into the common area that was scattered with armchairs along with couple tables that students would often sit at to do homework before lessons. He glanced towards a gay that had his legs hanging over the arm of one of the lounge chairs, the headset of a Walkman tape player over his ears, and his eyes closed as he listened. Jeremy felt his heart start to speed up again as he contemplated going over and talking to Robin or just pretending he hadn’t seen him at all.

Jeremy desperately wanted to limit the amount of human interaction he had before his tutoring session with Levi and his study group after that so that he’d be more than an empty body with a mind everywhere but there. He was a true introvert in that sense, but Robin did have a way of making him feel so much better with nothing but a smile.

Slowly, he made his way to the chair that Robin was sitting in and put a hand to his shoulder. Robin’s hand shot up from his lap and grabbed Jeremy’s wrist roughly, turning it so that his arm was unable to move.

He gasped, “Ow!”

Robin’s eyes opened and then widened. He immediately released him and Jeremy stumbled back a few steps. Robin’s expression turned from contempt to nervousness. He pulled off his headphones and clicked a button on his Walkman. “Oi, Shorty! Are ya alright’?” 

Jeremy rubbed his wrist where his assortment of beaded bracelets had been dug into his skin. “Yeah…” he mumbled, taking another step back. “Yeah, I’m fine.” 

Robin stood, reaching a hand out to Jeremy. “Let me see,” he urged, taking Jeremy’s wrist and checking to make sure he hadn’t hurt him badly. “I didn’t realize it was ya. Military reflexes…” 

“No, it’s okay,” Jeremy said, but there was a slight quiver in his voice. “I just won’t do that again.”

Robin frowned at him and brought Jeremy’s wrist to his mouth, kissing a red spot he’d created where one of the bracelets had already caused a welt because of the material. “I’m sorry, Shorty… I hope dis doesn’t scare ya off.”

Jeremy shook his head, taking his arm back to adjust his satchel on his shoulder. “I’m okay, don’t worry about it.”

The worry on Robin’s face didn’t fade, but he moved to his bag anyway. “Ya took off 'fore I could give dis ta ya dis mornin’.” He pulled a notebook from his satchel and handed it to Jeremy. “I knew ya wouldn’t be able to do yer notes ‘cause o’ t’e flashcards so I… well, I did me best. I wrote down everyting t’e ol’ hag said and had on t’e presentation.”

Jeremy flipped through the three pages of notes that Robin had taken for him in the Calc notebook he’d handed him. “You could have told me you’d taken it…” Jeremy muttered, appreciating that Robin had done his best to match Jeremy’s style of note taking. 

“Well, in me defense, ya didn’t really seem like ya wanted ta be talked to.”

Jeremy looked up to him. “Thank you, Robin.”

A wave of relief washed over him and he shot Jeremy a smile. “Anytime, Shorty.” 

The doors to the Astronomy classroom opened and students started pouring out. Robin moved to collect his things, shoving the Walkman into his pocket and hooking the headphones around his neck. 

“Dis be me class,” he said.

“You know, I’d have to say that I’m a little bit annoyed that you’ve never noticed that I’m in this class with you,” Jeremy said, mocking what Robin had said to him the first day they met. 

Robin grinned and shook his head. “Ya say dat like ya’ve noticed me in here before.”

Jeremy followed him into the class, taking advantage of the fact that people were often scared of Robin’s height and moved out of his way when he walked in their direction. 

Inside, the professor was running back and forth across the front of the class, finding telescope sets and binoculars and piling them on the desk at the front. The sound of her vibrant pink pumps echoed through the hall and Robin chuckled.

“Tink ya can find yer dignity with dose?” he asked. 

She glared at him. “Draconid Meteor Shower tonight, Leprechaun! Keep up!” she huffed. Her eyes flicked to Jeremy and her gaze softened. “Socks! Coming to the Extra Credit Hour tonight?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Jeremy assured with a smile. 

“Why on Earth are you hanging out with _him_?” she groaned, glancing back to Robin. 

“What are ya on ‘bout, Bitch. I’m an absolute _delight_ ta be ‘round,” Robin teased, taking the seat closest to her desk. 

Jeremy thought back on the first day of classes when she’d introduced herself and told everyone they could call her by her first or last name or anything else as long as they didn’t call her “fat or a bitch” and since then someone in front of the hall had consistently only called her those two things.

“Are you coming to the Extra Credit Hour?” she asked Robin. 

He shrugged. “I might.”

“Be here at 12:00 to help bring all of this to Astronomy Hill,” she instructed, gesturing towards the table of telescopes and binoculars. 

Robin scrunched up his nose. “Why me?” 

“Because you’re just a big, strong boy!” She grinned, squeezing his biceps.

“Can’t argue with dat,” Robin said, winking at Jeremy with she’d turned around. “C’mon, Shorty. Sit with me today,” Robin urged, moving his bag out of the seat next to him.

Professor Gardner disappeared into a closet and Jeremy looked around to the slowly filling lecture hall and shook his head. “I always sit in the back.” 

“Just fer today, den,” Robin insisted.

“I’m good…” he trailed, dragging his finger over the welt on his wrist. 

Robin furrowed his eyebrows. “Are ya alrigh’, Jer?”

Jeremy looked away from Robin, making a conscious effort not bite his lip. “I’m okay.” 

“I don’t tink dat’s true,” Robin said gently, reaching out and pulling Jeremy’s fingers from his wrist. 

“My anxiety is really bad today… I’ve almost had an anxiety attack a couple times,” he explained. “I just feel really overwhelmed, I guess.”

“Is it cause o’ yer… R2-D2? Put ya in a rotten mood?”

“You remembered his name,” Jeremy said, smiling a little.

Robin grabbed his bag and stood. “He’s important ta ya, ain’t he?”

“Where are you going, Leprechaun?” Professor Gardner asked, coming out of the closet with her arms full of their class’ star chart booklets.

“Imma sit in t’e back today, Mercedes,” he informed, glancing at Jeremy. “I’ve gotta be ‘round ya fer an extra hour later, so I figure it be better fer both o’ us if I distance meself fer t’e moment”

She shrugged. “One quiet class period? I can’t argue with that.”

“I’ll still trow tings at ya when ya start blabberin’,” Robin told her, winking at her before going back to where Jeremy normally sat. 

“You don’t have to-” Jeremy started, following Robin’s long strides to the back.

“I wanna sit with ya, Shorty,” Robin assured, gesturing for him to sit in the middle of the back row. 

Jeremy paused. “I sit on the end, by the door,” he said, taking his normal seat near the door. 

Robin shrugged and scooted past Jeremy to sit in the seat next to him. Jeremy grinned a little and smacked Robin’s ass before he could sit down. 

“Aye!” Robin scolded. 

“It’s the jeans,” Jeremy said quickly. “I can’t resist.”

“Dey _do_ make me arse look grand, don’t dey?” Robin smirked.

Jeremy rolled his eyes as the professor handed the stack of star chart booklets to her student aid and clapped her hands. 

“Alright, you know the drill. Star charts for all of next week. Reflection of this past week. Turn in. Done for the day. Easy peasy Fridays. You all know what’s tonight at 1 AM.”

“Extra Credit Hour!” the class chorused while Professor Gardner grinned. 

“And the Draconid Meteor Shower is happening tonight so it’s an easy 20 points right before Thanksgiving Break this weekend. If you do show up, I’m obligated to say to layer up because it’ll be cold tonight and the school board doesn’t want your toes falling off. I think that as long as you don’t wear flip flops, you’ll be fine. Those are ugly anyways.”

“Kinda like you!” Robin shouted, causing the class to turn towards him while they laughed. 

Jeremy shrunk down in his chair, hoping that no one would look directly at him. Robin noticed this and pressed his hand to Jeremy’s thigh under the table where no one could see. Jeremy gripped his hand roughly, trying to focus on something other than what felt like static in his veins. 

Professor Gardener pulled the focus back to herself as she was so good at doing and Robin squeezed Jeremy’s hand. 

“Sorry…” he mumbled.

“It’s okay.”

Robin frowned and let go of Jeremy’s hand to work on his star chart for the next week. “Do ya want ta help with t’e telescopes tonight?”

Jeremy shook his head. “After my study group I’ve got a couple hours of homework to finish before I can go to the Extra Credit Hour.” 

“Den, do ya want ta grab some… dinner-breakfast afterwards?”

“Dinner-breakfast?” Jeremy teased. 

“Well, it’s gonna be at like 2 in the mornin’, but I also doubt dat you’ll be gettin’ supper anytime tonight.” 

Jeremy shrugged. “You’re not wrong.”

“I’m never wrong, Shorty.” 

Jeremy rolled his eyes and continued on his star chart, catching Robin yawn out of the corner of his eye after a minute. “You’re tired?” he asked. 

“I haven’t been gettin’ much sleep t’e last two nights... 'n I'm a wee bit hungover,” he admitted. 

“Why’s that?” Jeremy asked, glancing up from his booklet. "The not getting sleep thing." 

Robin thought for a moment. “Uh- well, it’s Nic. She’s been having some, what ya call night terrors, and it’s been keepin’ me up. Had to wake her this mornin’ before someone called Xavier on us fer murderin’ someone in our gaff.” 

Jeremy frowned. “Is she okay?”

Robin nodded. “I tink so. She had a good talk with her kid siblin’s dis mornin’ so hopefully dat got her over some of it.”

“Nicole has siblings?” 

“Seven o’ em,” Robin said nodding.

“Christ…” Jeremy muttered. “I thought having ten boys I _wasn’t_ related to living in the same house was a lot.” 

**Saturday, October 9th, 1993 12:34 AM**

“Sit down!” 

“What’re ya gonna do ‘bout it, _Bitch_?” The sound of tires skidding on concrete echoed throughout the empty campus and Jeremy looked up from the center of the gazebo. “Feckin’ ‘ell!” Robin yelled, tumbling out of the bed of a faded white pickup truck. “Yer a bloody psycho, ya know dat?” 

Professor Gardener hopped out of the truck, pulling a hat down over her ears and pulling out a purse that matched the sickening shade of pink as her heels and coat. “Now, Leprechaun, you should have known that standing in the back of the truck with _the_ Mercedes Gardener as the driver was going to be a bad idea.”

Robin stood, opening the tailgate and starting to pull out some of the larger telescopes. “Ya gonna help or what?” 

“That’s why I brought you,” she said, patting his cheek and walking away. 

Jeremy curled into his blanket and continued to fidget with some broken plastic he had illuminated under a flashlight he was holding in his mouth. He’d managed to get the head back onto R2-D2, and now the challenge was the legs. 

“Socks?” Professor Gardener called, looking into the darkness of the gazebo. 

“Hi, Professor,” he called back, taking the flashlight out of his mouth for a moment before continuing to work.

“What are you doing?” she asked nervously, bending down next to him. 

He took the flashlight out of his mouth again and pointed it at the various joints and screws he had scattered across the concrete. “I have a tendency to get really distracted by things I’m doing and I didn’t want to be late or miss Extra Credit Hour so I figured if I worked here I’d have no way to miss it.”

“Smart, Socks,” Professor Gardner said, patting his back. 

He smiled and took the flashlight back between his teeth as he worked. 

“I broke someting!” Robin called from the truck.

“For fuck’s sake,” Professor Gardner groaned. “Back away from the telescopes, Leprechaun!”

Jeremy grinned, listening to Robin and the professor argue. 

“I’ll get them!” Professor Gardner assured. “Go hang out with Socks. I’ll call you over when I need help again.”

Robin’s eyes darted over to the gazebo where he realized that Jeremy had been the whole time he’s been breaking things. “Alrigh’y,” Robin said happily, hopping into the gazebo and sitting next to Jeremy. “Hiya, Shorty. How long have ya been over ‘ere?”

Jeremy let Robin press a hand to his cheek to feel if he was cold or not and then wrap his blanket around them both. 

“Fifteen minutes or so. I got his head back on,” he said, holding up R2-D2’s body. “Now I’m realigning the plastic for the legs.”

“See, Shorty,” Robin said, wrapped an arm around his waist when he knew Professor Gardner wasn’t looking. “I told you that you’d be able to figure it out.” He pressed a soft kiss to Jeremy’s temple and watched him work for a few more minutes. “Ya look mighty cute when yer all focused like dat.”

Jeremy looked at him and leaned close to him. “I’ll be a lot more focused if you stop talking,” he whispered.

Robin faked a pout. “It’s either I talk ta ya or I snog yer face.”

Jeremy glanced back up to the professor who was busy trying to carry several telescopes to the top of the Astronomy Hill. “I wouldn’t be super opposed to the second one.”

Robin smirked and kissed Jeremy softly. “I prefer t’e second option as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact - There actually was a Draconian Meteor Shower on October 8th, 1993 and I was already gonna do something like this so that was fun


	9. I Wasn’t Jus’ Gonna Wag me Finger at ‘Em

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole has a bad night and needs some TLC to get back up on her feet
> 
> But maybe she gives Waves a little TLC later, ifyaknowwhatimsayin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright y'all, we got it. Ya hated the only one upload. We're going back to double upload by the time the next one comes out.  
> BUT OTHER THAN THAT, HERE'S UR WAYHAUGHT  
> ENJOY

**Friday, October 8th, 1993 2:46 AM**

“ _C’mon_ , Corporal.”

Nicole’s eyes snapped open when the familiar voice broke through her dream. She sucked in a loud breath, the thrashing of her body only stopping when she realized where she was. “ _Christ_ ,” she muttered, fingers wrapping around the arm thrown across her chest.

“Yer alrigh’,” Robin mumbled into her hair, squeezing her a little tighter. “Jus’ a hell shot. Breathe, Kid.”

The redhead’s chest continued to heave as she looked towards him, seeing the worry on his face illuminated by the light of the moon shining through their window. She let out a quiet whimper as she rolled to her side and tucked her head under his chin, holding herself close to his front to try and stop the shakes that were rattling through her. Robin wrapped his arm around her and rubbed his thumb on her back, quietly beginning to hum some jazz, knowing that always seemed to calm her down.

And after 10 or so minutes, it worked just as it usually did, and the shaking had pretty much stopped. 

Robin quieted the jazz with a sigh. “I've been tryin' ta sleep 'n yer screamin’s been keepin’ me up all night, ya damned git,” he said with a small laugh. “Bloody rude o’ ya. Ya makin' me hangover headache worse dan it needs ta be.”

“ _Feck_ _off_ , ya arse,” she grumbled, though she laughed a little too.

“Do ya wanna talk ‘bout what’s gettin’ ya all bothered all ‘a sudden?” He questioned. “Ya ain’t had one o’ dem like dat since ya got ‘ere, ‘n dis is yer second in two nights. Is it t’e ting with Chrissy dat’s still got ya shooken up?” 

“Nah,” she mumbled, pulling her head back from his chest and sitting up. She turned and stood up on her good knee, leaning forward and opening their window before pulling the drawer of their nightstand open and grabbing the first aid kit. She took the top off, squinting down into it through the dark and grabbing one of the joints that Robin had rolled the day before along with a lighter, closing it and shoving it back in the drawer. “I roughed up dis dumb bloke dat was boterin’ Waves yesterday.” She lit the joint and turned to sit back against the headboard, taking a drag with her eyes closed. “Ain’t done anytin’ like dat fer a minute now.”

“I guess violence don’t sit well with ya anymore, aye?”

Nicole slowly released the smoke and swallowed, “Not with Waverly either, it seems.” 

“She didn’t find it ta be very heroic of ya, I’m guessin’?” 

“I tink I scared her,” she mumbled. “T’e poor ting fecked right off afterward, barely payin’ me a second glance.” 

“Can’t say I’m surprised, t’ough,” he sighed, taking the joint from her after she pulled in another lungful and did the same himself. “What t’e hell d’ya do ta him, anyhow?” 

“Shoved ‘em up against t’e wall ‘n smashed his stupid mug into t’e table.” She shrugged a little as she took the joint back. “Not like I knocked ‘em around or anytin’, t’ough. I wanted ta, I _really_ bloody wanted ta, but I didn’t.” 

“Dat be a plus, I s’pose,” Robin sighed. “Don’t need ya gettin’ kicked out or anyting.” He felt the redhead shrink into herself next to him, and he looked towards her with a furrowed brow. “Ya really care ‘bout her, don’t ya?”

“I _really_ do, Mate . . . ‘n now I tink she hates me guts.” 

“Don’t say dat,” he mumbled, rubbing her leg.

She looked towards him after quickly letting the smoke out, feeling a burn in her throat that wasn’t _only_ from the weed. “Ya ever cared ‘bout somebody _so_ much dat ya’d give or do anytin’ fer ‘em in a heartbeat?”

Robin thought for a second, frowned, and then nodded slowly. “Yeah, I tink I have, actually.”

“Who?”

“ _You_ , ya feckin’ eejit,” he forced a laugh, nudging her with his elbow. 

Nicole scoffed, “ _Besides_ me.” 

“I don’t _know_ , Nic,” he huffed, trying to dance around the question. “Dat’s not t’e point, anyhow . . . Ya know what I tink?”

“Huh?”

“I _tink_ ya should call yer brother ‘bout dis one.”

“Which one?”

He faked a glare. “ _Nigel_! Wee ting’s t’e best at love, ain’t he?” 

“He’s _nine-_ ”

 _"Noah_! Call Noah, ya know, t’e one ya sort all yer love life shite with? _Jaysus_ ,” he grumbled, shaking his head at her as he crawled over her legs and grabbed the phone box, plopping it on her lap.

She threw him a look, but let out a sigh. “Alrigh’, fine.”

Robin smiled as he stood. “I love ya, Kid,” he said, squeezing her left shoulder. “Keep yer head up, alrigh’? Can’t ‘ave ya gettin’ all soft over a gal half yer size now, can we?”

“Feck off! Go shower yer manky arse ‘n leave me be! Ya smell like tequila 'n sex,” Nicole shoved him away and he flicked the light on as he passed it on the way to the bathroom, chuckling as he did so. She punched in her home phone’s number, taking a drag as she put the phone to her ear. 

“Yallo?” A deep, rumbly voice answered after a few rings.

“Aye, Chicken! Didjer balls finally drop?!” She asked with a laugh. _Just_ the brother she had been hoping for had answered, and it was only right to start the teasing up right away. 

“Dat _you_ , Tiny?” Noah gasped. 

She rolled her eyes, knowing full well that with him being 6’11 and all, she was pretty tiny compared to him. “Nah, it ain’t. Sorry.” 

“Well I’ll be damned.” She heard him pull the phone away from his ear. “Aye! Nic’s on t’e phone!” 

The sudden sound of a stampede rolled over the line and she laughed at the screaming voices begging for the phone. “One at a feckin’ time, ya _animals_ ,” Noah huffed. 

“Oldest ta youngest,” Nicole offered up as a way of going about it. She hadn’t talked to any of them since she left over a month before so this was the reaction she expected.

“Smart,” Noah mumbled before she heard the phone ripped out of his hand. 

"SHITEHEAD!” 

“ _Nathaniel_ ,” she greeted with a chuckle. “Well, are ya?” 

“Very well. You?” 

“I be kickin’ still,” she sighed. 

“Not with dat gammy knee, ya ain’t.”

Nicole rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh. “I got any nieces or nephews rollin’ ‘round yet, ya feckin’ _skank_?”

“Bug off, Mate. I’ve got me a girl now,” Nate grumbled. 

“Aye, lookie _you_. And ya _ain’t_ got her knocked up yet, aye?” 

“ _Arsehole_ ,” she heard muttered before the phone was handed over to the next. 

“Hiya!” Niall greeted. 

“Hey! I’m sendin’ ya sometin’ fer ya birthday next month, alrigh’?” 

“Nah, ya don’t have ta do all dat, Nic,” he mumbled. She wasn’t surprised. That kid had a heart of gold, making it hard for him to accept gifts even from a young age. 

“I can’t give ya yer spankin’s, Kid. A present’ll ‘ave ta do.” 

“ _Nic_ -”

“Niall, c’mon. It won’t be much,” she huffed. 

He let out a sigh. “ _Fine_. Love ya, Sis.” 

“Love ya, too. Give it ta t’e jockstrap.” 

She heard the phone roughly fumbled over again before- “ _Aye_ , am not!” 

“Mhm, how many new trophies ya got since I’ve been gone?” She questioned with raised brows. 

“I got two trophies _and_ won bes’ goalie again fer football, ‘n I got a medal in cross country,” Nolan said, and Nicole could _hear_ how proud of himself he was. 

“Good on ya, Mate. I’m proud. Keep it up, ya?” 

“I will. Bya.”

“Bye, Kid,” she smiled before the phone was passed again.

“Where’s Robin?! Is Robin dere?!” 

“I’m doin’ good, Blue, tanks for askin’,” she mumbled with a tiny smirk. She was already aware that he secretly liked her best friend more than her. It wasn’t much of a shock, though. They were basically the same person. It started at their love for music and continued in smaller things like foods they hated and their fashion sense.

“. . . Hey, Cole.” 

“Much betta. And, nah, he’s gettin’ ready fer work. Sorry, Bluey. How’s cello lessons goin’?”

“Bah, dropped dat. It was borin’. I be doin’ piano now. _And_ saxophone _obviously_.” 

She chuckled, “I’m gonna have me own personal Mozart by t’e time I come home. I’ll tell Robin ya said hey.” 

“Who said hey!?” Robin yelled from the bathroom.

“ROBIN!”

Nicole groaned, pressing her hand against her blown eardrum. “Blue did,” she shouted back. 

“Oh. Hiya, Blue! Yer gonna play fer me when I see ya next, right?” 

“YEA!” 

“ _Jaysus_ , Nelson. Chill out! Yer blowin’ me hearin’!” 

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

Nicole shook her head with a sigh, looking up at Robin when he poked his head out of the bathroom. “He said ya.” 

“Ask what he’s gonna play fer me,” Robin said as he walked out with just a towel around his waist. 

“Blue, whadya gonna play fer ‘em?” She asked.

“CARELESS WHISPER!” 

“NELSON! Me _fuckin_ ’ ear, Mate!” 

“I’m _sorry_ , I forgot.” 

“Blue! Yell some more, she loves it!” Robin shouted.

Nicole grabbed a shoe off the floor next to her bed and chucked it at Robin. “ _Don’t_ even tink about it or I’ll have Noah give ya a swirlie fer me!” She warned her brother. 

“Ok, I won’t,” the boy said quickly. 

“Good,” she grumbled, glaring up at Robin. “He said Careless Whisper if ya didn’t catch dat already.” 

“Yeah, I heard,” Robin said smugly, getting closer to the phone. He noticed Nicole eyeing his chest and neck as he got closer to her and a light blush crept onto his cheek as he spoke, “I’ll play it with ya if ya do it right t’e first time.” 

They both heard the excited giggle Blue let out. “Ok!” 

Nicole smiled at him, “Alrigh’, I’ll talk to ya later. Give it ta Jelly.” 

“Bye, Nic. BYE, ROBIN!” 

“NELSON! DAT’S A SWIRLIE!” She heard a faint scream and two sets of feet running across the floor, along with Noah shouting ‘ _Ima getcha, ya lil shite_!’ Nicole pinched the bridge of her nose as she switched the phone to speaker to avoid any more ear ruptures. “Bloody ‘ell.” 

“Hi, Nicky!” Nigel cheered.

“ _No_ , Sir. Ya know I hate dat feckin’ name.”

“Sorry . . .” he mumbled. “Guess what I did?”

“What’s dat, Jelly?” She asked as a soft smile inched onto her face. She had been calling him that for as long as she could remember. At first it was just Gel, but it had slowly morphed into Jelly after several years. 

“I won t’e semester science fair with me presentation on t’e creation of t’e atomic bomb!”

“Aye . . . dat’s real neat! Good on ya!”

“Dat’s super cool, Bud!” Robin said as he searched through Nicole’s dresser to try and find some clothes to throw on. 

“Sometime I’m gonna let ya talk ta me smart chemistry major friend,” Nicole told her little brother, watching Robin grab at several pairs of her jeans while still trying to hold up his towel. 

“Oh dat sounds super fun!” Nigel said excitedly. “Can _I_ be one of yer smart chemistry major friends one day?”

“Of _course_ , Jelly. Ya can be whatever ya want ta be.” 

“I want to make atomic bombs,” he grinned.

Nicole caught Robin glance at her in worry because of that, but she just forced a laugh. “Uh-huh. Dat’s a great goal, Bud.” 

“Don’t blow yourself up!” Robin called over, but he was shot a quick glare by the redhead. 

“Don’t be _stupid_ , Robin,” Nigel huffed incredulously. “I’m too smart fer dat. Besides, I don’t wanna hurt people, I jus’ tink it’d be a neat job.”

Nicole let out a breath of relief but squinted at Robin again when he was fully turned back towards her. She gestured for him to come closer, but he hesitated for a second, seeing her eyes flick to his neck again. She raised an eyebrow and made the gesture again and Robin crept towards her nervously. 

“What’s on yer neck?” She mouthed with a small smirk. 

Robin shrugged, going to back away but Nicole grabbed at his arm. Unfortunately for both of them, she managed to catch his towel instead, pulling it from his waist and causing it to drop to the floor. Robin wiggled his eyebrows at her, dancing around when he noticed the disgust on her face. 

“Robin’s _naked_!” She screamed, causing all the kids to start screaming as well. Robin shook his head, still grinning as he wrapped the towel back around himself. “Okay, no longer naked. But . . . ” She trailed off, sending him a warning smile. “He _does_ have a bunch o’ hickeys on his neck!” Some of the older siblings giggled while the younger ones were asking what was so funny. Robin glared at her, using her jeans to cover up his neck and chest as he ran to the bathroom to change. 

“Anyway, Jelly. Robbie and I are real happy dat ya don’t wanna blow people up. Keep bein’ smart fer me, aye?”

“I will!” 

Nicole let out a content sigh. “Alrigh’, give it over ta yer sister. Bya, Nerd.” 

“Bye, Nic. Love ya.”

“Love ya, too.” She heard it handed over and a smile automatically pushed on her face. “Ya dere, Kid?” She asked softly. 

“Cole?” The youngest asked just as soft. 

“Hi, Babygirl,” Nicole mumbled with a breathy laugh. “How are ya?” 

“I miss ya.” 

“I miss ya, too. A whole lot,” she assured, feeling her heart twinge. Sure, she had always been closest to Noah for a number of reasons, but her second closest would be Naomi out of the rest, despite how young she was.

“When ya come home?” Naomi asked quietly, and Nicole swore she heard a sniffle. 

“I jus’ got word I can fly home fer Christmas, so I’ll be dere with t’e all of ya den.” 

Naomi let out a whine. “ _No_ , Cole. Dat’s too long!” 

“I _know_ , Babygirl. I’m sorry. We can play _all_ t’e House ya want when I be home, t’ough, I promise.” 

“I jus’ want _you_ , Cole.” It was clear that she was crying now, and the redhead’s heart was shattering to bits. “Dey’re all _mean_ ta me. Yer not mean ta me.” 

“No we’re not!” She heard at least three of them shout.

Nicole’s brows furrowed tightly. “Tell ‘em all Ima whoop dey _fuckin_ ’ arses if dey keep bein’ lil gobshites ta ya. I’m serious.” The little one still seemed to still be crying, if not harder than she had been before. “Shh, hey. It’s alrigh’, quit dat.” 

“ _Ma! Naomi’s cryin’ again!_ ” Nolan shouted in the background. 

“ _T’e feck she blubberin’ fer_ !” Their mother shouted back from somewhere on the other side of the house, her voice slowly getting closer. “ _Who t’e_ ‘ell _she on t’e phone with_?-” Nicole heard the phone moved around as she figured the little one was picked up. “Who’s dis?” 

“Yer favorite child?” Nicole offered with a small grin. 

“Bloody ‘ell! Dat really me baby?!” Natalie gasped. 

“It be me, Ma,” the redhead chuckled. “Didn’t mean ta make her cry. She jus’ misses me, is all.” 

“Nah, it’s alrigh’, Hun. I know she does. T’all she talks ‘bout dese days.” 

Nicole let out another sigh. “I’ll be home fer Christmas.”

“Aye! Will ya?!” 

“Ya. So jus’ keep feedin’ dat ta ‘er.” Nicole swallowed a little. “How are ya? And Nicolas, too?” 

Her mother sighed, “I’m as well as I can be. Yer father, too. He’s busy with t’e business, t’ough. How’s school goin’? Ya settle in?” 

Nicole nodded, though no one could see it. “Dat’s good, I’m glad. I, erm, I’m doin’ grand actually. It’s real nice over ‘ere. Classes are goin’ fine, ‘n I’ve made a few mates so far. Robin helped me settle in quite well.” 

“Dat’s lovely, Dear. I’m happy fer ya.” She paused and Nicole heard her talking to Naomi for a few seconds. “I miss ya _hapes_ , Love. Ya know dat? It’s like yer de-”

“I know it is, Ma. I miss ya, too,” Nicole mumbled after cutting her off.

She let out a sigh. “Alrigh’. Nice hearin’ from ya. I needa put dis one down fer a nap.” 

“Ok. I love ya. Can ya get t’e phone ta Chicken, t’ough? I’ve gotta question fer ‘em.”

“ _Noah_!” Natalie shouted. “I love ya, too. ‘Ere he comes now.” 

“Tanks, Ma.” 

“Bye, Dear,” she said before handing the phone over and walking off. 

“Yea, Tiny?” Noah questioned. 

Nicole licked her lips, sitting up a little more. “Shoo ‘em off, would ya?” 

He let out a hum of approval. “Scram. All of ya’s.”

“ _Noo_ ,” she heard a few of them whine. 

“Go!” Noah shouted. “Or I’ll puck ya!” She heard a few more grumbles roll over, but it seemed that they all had gotten the message. “Alrigh’, what’s a’matta?” 

“First, uh, how’s . . . How’s Connor?” 

The line was silent for a few seconds and she figured he was distancing himself from the door of the kitchen just in case anyone was listening in. “He’s good. We’re good.” 

See, the thing about having eight kids was that it was likely that at least _one_ of them was going to _not_ be straight. 

Unfortunately for _uber_ Catholic Nicolas and Natalie Haught, they had two gay kids but were none the wiser about it. 

Nicole smiled. Her brother was the only person in her family besides Robin that she felt safe enough talking about sexuality with, and she knew it was most likely always going to be that way. “Dat’s great, Chicken. I’m glad.” 

“. . . Ya met someone, didn’t ya?” 

“What makes ya say dat?”

He chuckled. “Answer t’e question, Tiny.” 

“. . . Maybe?” 

“Aye! Fill me in!” Noah said with a laugh. 

“She’s . . . Christ, alrigh’. Her name’s Waverly. We met earlier dis week. And . . . _God_ , she’s the sweetest little ting I ever met, I swear it.” 

“Little, aye?” 

“ _Wee_ ting, Mate. A foot lesser dan me.” 

“Ya like ‘em short, don’t ya?” 

“ _Feck_ _off_. Short means dey can climb me like a damned tree. Which, _by t’e way_ , shoulders fine enough now to pick’er up.” 

“Oh ya? What’d ya pick’er up fer?” 

“Hmm, I dunno. Probably t’e same reason I walked in on ya dat time with Connor pinned to yer bedroom wall.” There was a huge smirk on her face and she knew he could hear it through her voice.

“Aye!” He laughed. “First of all, that was a _fine_ day-”

“I _feckin_ ’ heard, ya dirty bastard. Yer lucky I was t’e only one home. Ya shook t’e whole damn house,” she grumbled with a scowl on her lips.

“Good,” Noah snorted. “Second of all, when ya said ya found yerself a girl, ya didn’t say it was _mutual_ between ya.” 

“Oh. Ya. Very much mutual.” 

“Good on ya, I’m glad. So what’s it yer callin’ me fer den- Wait, ain’t it like, three in the feckin’ mornin’ dere? Ya said seven hour time difference, right?” 

“Bad dream,” she mumbled. “I’m gettin’ dere.” 

“Ah, alrigh’, den.” 

Nicole dove into it, describing what had happened from when she saw Champ to when Waverly had left the library. “. . . Dream stemmed from all dat, I’d guess.”

“I’d say so, ya.” Noah was quiet for a second. “So yer wantin’ me ta tell ya what ta do ta make sure she ain’t spooked o’ ya?”

“Ya,” Nicole mumbled.

“Well, have ya t’ought about _talkin’_ ta t’e girl?”

Nicole pursed her lips. “. . . I’m scared ta.” 

“Why?” 

“What if she ain’t interested anymore?”

“Bloody ‘ell, Nic! It’s been a week! If she ain’t want ya, yer gonna jus’ have ta move along.”

“She ain’t jus’ _some girl_ , Noah,” Nicole mumbled. “I dunno if I’ll be able ta jus’ _move along_.” 

Noah let out a sigh. “Yer tellin’ me yer fallin’ already, ain’t ya?”

“ _Chicken_.” 

“ _Look_. Dere’s _nothin’_ else ya can do, Sis. Jus’ _talk_ to her. Explain ta her ya ain’t been raised to jus’ _stand around_ with yer thumb up yer arse! ‘ _Specially_ when it comes ta shite like dat!” 

Nicole ran her hand down her face, letting her head tip back to hit the wall. “Yer right,” she sighed. “Fine. I’ll talk t’er.” 

“ _Dere_ ya go, Tiny.” 

She let out a breath, running her hands down her face. “Alrigh’ . . . I’ll let ya go den, I guess.” 

“Get ya some more sleep.” 

“I will. Love ya, Mate. I’ll keep ya posted.”

“Love ya, too, Nic. Sounds grand,” Noah smiled. 

“Keep ‘em all in line fer me, will ya?”

“I’ll try,” Noah chuckled. “Bya.”

“Bye, Chicken.” She placed the phone that had been sitting in her lap back on the holder and ended the call.

Robin slipped out of the bathroom in a loose, black long sleeve shirt tucked into the front of a pair of her dark washed jeans. “Do dese make me arse look better dan t’e black ones?” 

Nicole raised an eyebrow with a little smirk. “Are ya tryna impress whoever left dem lovebites on yer neck?”

“Watch it,” he warned. “Does me arse look great or no?”

“It _always_ looks great.”

“ _Nic_!” Robin whined.

“ _Y_ _a_ , dose make yer arse look better dan t’e black ones,” she agreed with a huff. “But if yer tryna get laid, I’d suggest wearing somethin’ ya can get off easier.”

Robin shot her a glare. "Funny."

Nicole raised an eyebrow at him and frowned. "What's a matta with ya?"

"I'm jus' a wee bit hungover is all," he said, though his face burned red and he was doing his best not to look her in the eyes.

"It's somethin' else," she insisted, scanning her eyes over him. "Problems with a lad? T'e one ya let munch on yer chest, maybe?"

Robin scoffed, "I ain't one ta get me feelin's tied up with no bloke, 'n ya know dat."

"I know... I'm just wonderin'."

"I'm alrigh', Nic. I promise," he said quickly before returning to the bathroom to finish his hair. After a few minutes, he came out and grabbed his apron, kissed Nicole’s cheek before shoving his keys, a green cardigan, and another joint and lighter into his satchel and flipping the lights off. “Love ya, Kid. Get some sleep before yer classes, ya hear?”

Nicole nodded as she tucked herself under the covers, and he left and closed the door behind himself, not locking it, _just_ like normal.

**7:32 AM**

“Chris, we have to go shopping tonight for the shit for Friendsgiving,” Waverly called to the blonde from the bathroom as she brushed her hair. 

_“No,”_ she whined.

“ _Yes_ , Chrissy."

The blonde let out a heavy groan, flopping backward on her bed. “ _Fine_.” Her head lifted, though, when the phone started ringing. She let out a little huff, reaching over and grabbing the phone and putting it to her ear. “Hello?” 

“Hi, Chrissy,” Nicole answered with a mumble. “Is Waves dere?” 

“ _Waverly_ , your tall glass of water wants you!” The blonde shouted. 

Waverly poked her head out of the bathroom with slightly wide eyes. She had obviously told Chrissy about what had happened when she had gotten home from work the night before, but she hadn’t seen a problem with what Nicole had done. She actually thought she had done the right thing.

So obviously Waverly just figured she was overreacting again. 

Chrissy threw her a look, holding the phone out to her. The brunette sighed, walking over and grabbing it from her, dropping back on her own bed as she pressed it to her ear and twisting her finger around the cord. “Hey, you.” 

“Hiya,” Nicole mumbled. 

Waverly’s brows furrowed. “You alright, Nic?”

“I, uh, I was wonderin’ if ya wanted ta get lunch today? Cause . . . I tink that’d be a good idea.” 

The brunette pursed her lips. She knew _exactly_ what she was getting at and, frankly, she didn’t think she _wanted_ to talk about it. She just wanted to forget about it and move on. “I, uh, I really need to study for my geography test, actually. It’s my class right after lunch. Maybe we can do something later?” 

Unfortunately for her, Nicole could spot a lie from a mile away. “Waves.” Her mumbled voice was almost in warning. 

She let out a sigh. “W- Yea, ok, fine. Lunch sounds good. Where?” 

“T’e diner?” 

“Ok. Works for me. Meet me outside of Cultural History?” 

“Alrigh’,” Nicole sighed. “I’ll see ya den, aye?”

“Yep,” she said, trying to wipe the little smile off her face. “Bye, Bub. Have a good morning.” 

“You, too, Love. See ya.”

“Buh-bye.” Waverly leaned over and put the phone back on the holder, letting out a raspberry as she rubbed her face. 

“That went well,” Chrissy mumbled as she checked herself over in the mirror. 

“Shut up,” she grumbled as she got off the bed and headed back into the bathroom to finish getting ready. 

**11:21 AM**

The two watched as Jeremy rushed out of the diner in silence, then keeping the uneasy quiet for a few more seconds until Waverly finally spoke up. “Good goin’, Nic.” 

The redhead threw her a sharp glare that immediately wiped the snobby look off of her face. She let out a heavy sigh as she pushed out of the booth and moved around to the other side where Jeremy had been, pulling her coffee over to her side and taking a long sip as she fixed her tired eyes on Waverly’s face. At first, her features were hard with anger; her brow was tightened and her jaw was locked. They softened after a moment, though; her brows dipped sadly and her lips curved down as chewed her cheek. 

“Quit looking at me like that,” the brunette mumbled, pulling her legs up criss-cross on the booth seat and fiddling with her fingers in her lap. 

Nicole swallowed, darting her eyes around the diner for a second before letting them fall back on her face. “I jus’ wanna know what I did wrong . . . Cause I _t’ought_ I was doin’ t’e right ting. He looked like he was scarin’ ya- _hurtin’_ ya maybe, ‘n I wasn’t jus’ gonna wag me finger at ‘em ‘n send ‘em on his merry way.” 

Waverly let out a huff as she ran her hands down her cheeks. “Do you know _how_ many times he’s done that? And _how_ many times I’ve been able to make him go away? I’ve been tutoring him since the _beginning_ of the year, Nicole, him being gross _isn’t_ new. I could’ve handled it on my _own_.”

Nicole’s eyes widened at her. “Dis happens _regularly_?!” 

“ _Yea_ , Nic. He’s just a horndog.” She shrugged as she spun the utensil bundle on the table a few times. 

“Wave, if dis is happenin’ _all_ t’e time, it’s _obviously not_ bein’ feckin’ _handled_. Ya can’t jus’- Why dontcha go to t’e dean or somethin’? Ask ta get a new kid ta tutor? Dis isn’t _okay_. Ya should’t have ta put up w-” 

Waverly shook her head. “It’s not _your_ problem _,_ Nicole. If I wanted your help, I would have _asked_ for it.- And even if I did, _that_ is not what I would have wanted you to do.”

“He’s a _fuckin_ ’ meathead, Waverly. He can handle bein’ roughed up a wee bit. Maybe it’ll teach ‘em a lesson-”

“No!” She snapped. “ _Violence_ is _never_ the fucking answer. Or maybe it’s just not the answer around _me_ , I dunno, but I _hate_ it. _All_ of it.” 

Nicole’s mouth fell open and she stared at her for a moment before closing her mouth as she shrunk in on herself a little. She finally shook her head. “I’m not sayin’ violence is _always_ t’e answer. Dat’d be . . . stupid. But I _am_ sayin’ dat _I_ was raised ta believe that _sometimes_ it _is_ t’e answer. And dat’s somethin’ dat’s not gonna change ‘bout me, so I’m sorry if ya can’t handle dat.”

The redhead watched Waverly’s jaw work as she clenched and unclenched her jaw a few times, waiting for her to say something. “. . . So what you’re basically saying is that I either get _no_ you and _no_ violence or _you_ and a little bit of violence?” 

Nicole raised her brows and nodded. “Dat’s _exactly_ what I’m sayin’, actually.” 

“Well, then . . .” Waverly leaned her elbows on the table with a sigh, “I guess you’re worth it.” 

The redhead watched as she tried to keep a smile off of her face. “Am I?” 

“Yea,” the brunette said, letting the smile creep onto her face. 

Nicole finally felt herself relax and she leaned back against the booth. “Are we settled den? Yer not mad at me anymore?” 

“I mean . . . I’m not _agreeing_ with what happened. But no, I’m not that upset anymore cause I get it.” 

“Great,” she smiled, relieved at the fact. 

Waverly uncrossed her legs and let them fall back under the table, slowly trailing her foot up the inside of her leg. “So . . . Will you eat now since you're not pouting anymore?” 

Nicole flicked her eyes down to look at her foot, biting the inside of her lip and letting it go when she looked back up at her, leaning forward onto her arms clasped on the table with a small glare. “I will.” 

Waverly hid a little grin as she flicked her eyes down to the menu in front of her. “What d’you want?” 

She raised her eyes to meet Nicole’s, catching the way she rolled her tongue in her mouth as she flicked her eyes up and down her body. “I’ve got a few tings in mind,” Nicole muttered, smirking at the way Waverly’s mouth fell open. 

The brunette snapped out of it, grabbing her bag and slipping out of the booth. Nicole did the same with a wicked grin on her face. “ _Kennedy_!” Waverly shouted. He looked towards her from refilling someone’s coffee. “Where’s our tab?” 

He made his way over to the front counter just as they did, cocking a brow at them. “Only the drinks today?” 

Waverly stepped up to the counter, gripping her hands onto the ledge with a smile. “Just the drinks.” 

Nicole stepped behind her, giving Kennedy a smile at the same time that she pressed her hips forward into Waverly’s back, pinning her hips to the counter. Her eyes shot out of her head just as fast as Kennedy’s did. “ _Oh_ , just the drinks. _Gotcha_.” 

The redhead gave him a smile. She slipped her hand in between them, pushing it into Waverly’s back right pocket first with a squeeze before letting out a tut and moving to the other. “ _Dere_ we are.” She pulled her wallet out and looked at it, looking down at Waverly’s beet red face that was gawking up at her. “Winnie t’e Pooh wallet, aye? Dat’s bloody adorable.” 

“Nic,” the brunette mumbled under her breath, pushing back against her. 

But, of course, she just pressed forward with more pressure to keep her there as she dug a few bills out of her wallet and handed them to Kennedy. “Keep t’e change, Mate.” She closed the wallet and moved her hand back in between them to push it back in her pocket as she looked back down at her. “Ya ready to head off?” 

“Y-Yea, ready,” she nodded. 

Nicole smirked a little. “Are ya sure?”

“I’m sure.” 

“Cause we can stand ‘ere ‘n chat with-”

Waverly pushed against the counter and flipped around, making Nicole stumble forward a step and brace herself on the ledge of the counter. “We’re leaving.” 

The redhead smiled innocently as she pushed off of her. “Alrigh’, den. Let’s go.” 

Waverly let out a relieved breath as she quickly started for the door. “Have fun, y’all!” Kennedy called. 

Nicole pushed the door open and looked towards him, giving him a smirk. “Oh, we will.” 

Waverly was already speed walking in the direction of the dorms. Nicole did a little hobble-jog to catch up to her, smirking down at her when she was back by her side. “I can’t believe you just did that,” Waverly muttered.

“Are ya mad about it?” 

“Not at all.”

They were quickly in the dorm building and to Nicole’s room. She scraped her key around on the handle, looping her arm around the brunette’s waist as she stood in front of her, her breath beginning to come in slightly ragged intervals until she finally got it unlocked. She shoved the door open and pushed Waverly into the dorm, practically flinging her bag halfway across the room as she kicked the door closed. Waverly did the same with her’s and Nicole grabbed her by the neck and shoved her against the wall, smashing their lips together.

Waverly let out a mixture of a surprised gasp and a throaty moan as her eyes rolled back, her fingers wrapping around Nicole’s wrist as she smacked the other hand flat against the wall. 

Nicole quickly pulled her hand back with bugged eyes. “ _Fuck_ , I wasn’t th-” 

Waverly grunted, bringing Nicole’s hand back up to her throat and squeezing her hand around her fingers. “ _Kiss me_.” 

Nicole’s brows raised as she did so, leaning farther into her as a tiny smirk worked onto her lips. “ _Waverly Earp_. I’ll be damned.” 

The brunette hummed as she moved her hands to curl around either side of her light blue jean overalls to pull her even closer. “Learn somethin’ new everyday,” she muttered. 

Nicole moved her hands to her upper arms, taking a step back from her and pulling her off the wall with a chuckle. “I guess so.” She backed them to her bed and let her fall back on it before dropping on top of her. Waverly’s hands immediately found the hooks of her overalls and she unclipped them, flicking the straps over her shoulders and pushing the bib down to grip at the front of her hoodie that was underneath. The redhead pulled in a quick breath, sitting them up and grabbing onto her dark orange knitted sweater and pulling it off before getting some help wiggling out of her hoodie, pushing her back down into the mattresses. 

“How many _fucking_ layers do you have on,” Waverly groaned as the redhead kissed down her jaw, tugging at the plain grey t-shirt she still had on. 

“It was ‘posed ta be cold today,” Nicole mumbled when she raised her head to look at her. 

The brunette scoffed, shaking her head as she grabbed the bottom of the shirt and pulled it up, chucking it away once she got it off her. She gripped her waist and was going to pull her back down, but she paused, pressing her hand against her chest to get her to stay there as she tipped her head sideways to look at the tattoo on her ribcage, running her thumb over the words. “You have a _tattoo_?” She questioned, righting her head to look at her. 

“Sure looks dat way, don’t it?” Nicole laughed. 

Waverly looked at it again, furrowing her brow when she realized it wasn’t in English. “What’s it say?” 

“Go dtí na laethanta ar fad anseo agus ina dhiaidh.” 

She stared up at her with her mouth open. “Ok, well _that_ was the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. What’s it mean?”

“Ta all t’e days, ‘ere ‘n after in Irish. Me ‘n Robin both got it dere,” she informed with a smile as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. 

“Awe,” she mumbled with a little pout. “That’s cute.” 

Nicole hummed as she slotted her thigh between her legs and leaned back down right next to her ear. “Tá tú go hálainn.”

Waverly’s hands bunched around the overalls at her waist with a light sigh as Nicole began kissing down her neck. “Huh?” She mumbled, hardly even able to speak at this point.

“Means you’re beautiful, Love.”

“Quit,” she muttered, sliding her hand down to squeeze her bicep. 

Nicole pulled away from her neck and looked up at her, sliding one of her hands through her hair and rubbing her thumb on her cheek. “Hey, look at me.” Waverly met her eyes. “We ain’t doin’ _anytin’_ until you’re ready. Understand?”

The brunette nodded. “Ok.” 

Nicole continued to stare at her for a few seconds before letting out a sigh as she grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss for it. “And you’re not ready. But dat’s alrigh’.” 

Her brows furrowed. “But I-”

“It’s in yer eyes, Baby,” she mumbled. “It’s alrigh’. I’ll wait fer ya fer as long as ya need. Dere’s no pressure.” 

Waverly ran her pointer finger under the hem of the strap of her sports bra to straighten it, looking back up at her. “It’s just . . . a lot. A big step.” 

“I know,” Nicole said with a small smile, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Dat’s why I ain’t give two shites ‘bout how long it takes till yer ready. Besides . . .” She licked her lips as she slid a hand up her chest to her throat, flicking her eyes back to her’s. “Dere’s a lot we can do without goin’ dat far.” 

The brunette let out a ragged breath as she writhed under her, pressing up into her thigh. “What’d you have in mind?” 

The redhead let out a low chuckle with a sly smile. “Quite a few tings, actually.” She dropped her hips down to rest her whole weight on Waverly, watching her face as she rolled her thigh forward, smirking and meeting her lips as she did it a few more times. “Is dat alrigh’?” She asked as she moved both hands to rest beside her head, one pushed into her hair.

Waverly squeezed her bicep again, fisting her other hand into her hair and pulling it taught. “Very alright.” Nicole let out a growl, jerking forward into her as she pulled from her mouth and dropped it to her lower neck, sinking her teeth in. The brunette moaned, arching up into her with a breathy laugh. “ _Ok_ , remind me to pull your hair more often.” 

“Bloody 'ell, Love,” Nicole murmured. “I’m glad ya figured out how ta get me goin’.”

Waverly grinned, cupping the side of her jaw and pulling her down to kiss her neck. “I guess now I can use that to my advantage then.” 

Nicole rocked into her with more force, letting out a heavy breath when Waverly reached her pulse point. “I wouldn’t do dat if I were ya.” 

“But what if I _wanna_?” Waverly questioned with a bratty lilt, nipping hard enough to leave a mark. 

The redhead pulled her head back and shot her hand up to squeeze around her neck, watching her eyes roll with a high moan. She raised her brows when Waverly’s eyes fluttered back open. “Cause _I’ve_ got a few tricks up me own sleeve as well.”

Waverly bit her lip when Nicole smirked down at her. She grabbed her and pulled her back into a kiss, hands then moving to her hips to lead her movements. “ _Fuck_ , Nic.” 

She hummed into her lips, pushing forward with more pressure each time her hands coaxed her in. She found a rhythm that worked for both of them, so she kept with it for a few minutes, switching from kissing and biting up and down her neck and collarbones to kissing her with every bit of feeling she had. 

The brunette’s eyes opened after Nicole bit down particularly hard on her collarbone, biting her lip to quiet a louder noise caused by her hips jumping up into her thigh. “ _Shit_.” Her arm looped under Nicole’s right one and pulled her down, nails tearing down her left shoulder blade as her whole body arched up with a shaky cry. 

Nicole lifted her head to look at her and slid her arm behind her back, easing her back down onto the bed as she continued to jerk her hips up involuntarily a few times as her chest heaved, her fingers slowly retracting from the skin of her back. The redhead leaned her forehead against her’s and pushed her hand through her hair, waiting for her eyes to slowly come back open. “. . . Was dat fun?” She mumbled when they did, lifting her head with a cheeky smirk.

Waverly covered her face with her hands when it went a million shades darker than it had been. “Oh my God.”

Nicole huffed, pulling at one of her wrists. “Aye, what’s a’matta?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Fer _what_ , Darlin’? Dat was kinda t’e whole point of dat.”

“Was it?” Waverly questioned as she lowered the other hand from her face and pushed her glasses up her nose.

“Ya,” Nicole assured with a breathy chuckle. She pushed a kiss to her lips and sat up, letting out a grunt as she yanked her bad leg out from underneath her. 

Waverly sat up, letting her eyes trace over her abs when she leaned back against her footboard and swallowing as she looked back up at her. “Then to answer your question, yea, that _was_ fun.”

The redhead let out a laugh as she straightened the strap of her shoulder sleeve that ran across her chest, turning and standing up off the bed. “Good. I’m glad.” 

She moved over and went to bend down to grab Waverly’s sweater, but Waverly grabbed her arm and quickly turned her all the way around. “Woah,” she mumbled, running her finger across her upper shoulder blade. 

“What?- Oh,” Nicole said as she looked over her shoulder at her. “Cool, innit?”

“It’s beautiful,” she answered as she met her eyes in awe. 

From almost the middle of Nicole’s back at the top to the back of her left arm was a _breathtakingly_ realistic falcon-wing tattoo, and she could see that there was one that mirrored it hidden under her shoulder sleeve on the opposite side. 

“What’s it for?” She questioned as she traced the scratch marks she had accidentally made over it. 

Nicole bent down and grabbed Waverly’s shirt, leaning over and grabbing her own before clearing her throat as she turned around and handed it to her. “I, uh, I’ve jus’ always wanted ta fly, I guess. Now I’ve got me wings.”

Waverly pouted her lip, pulling the sweater over her head and helping her back into her shirt. “That’s really cute, Bub,” she mumbled, reaching up and rubbing her thumbs across her cheeks a few times. 

“Is it?” She asked as she wiggled back into her hoodie.

“Yea.” Waverly reached behind her and grabbed the strap of her overalls, pulling it over and hooking the clip back on. She went to grab the other, but her eyes caught the alarm clock on their nightstand and her heart almost jumped out of her chest. “ _Fuck_.”

“What?-” Nicole turned her head and looked at it, letting out a curse under her breath. 

They seemed to have lost track of time during their little _exploration_ of one another, so they hadn’t realized that it was now five minutes past the start of their 12 PM classes.

“ _Shit_ , ok.” Waverly stood up on her toes and pushed a quick kiss to her lips before rushing over and grabbing her bag off of the floor. “I’ve gotta get all the way across campus to get to Geography. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, yea? For Friendsgiving?”

Nicole quickly grabbed her bag with a nod. “Ya. What time should I be at T’e Muffin Man?” She asked as they both made their way out of the dorm. 

“Nine? That’s when me and Chris will be there.” 

“Alrigh’, see ya den, Love.” 

“Wear something nice!” The brunette called as she turned away, looking at her over her shoulder with a smile and a wave before running towards the exit of the building. “Bye, Bub!” 

Waverly was quickly to her class and she slipped in the back entrance of the lecture hall, thankfully not drawing too much attention to herself.

 _Or so she thought_.

She slid into her seat next to a _glaring_ Chrissy, pulling her bag around to her chest as her lungs heaved from running and turning her head to look at her with an innocent smile. 

She roughly smacked her arm. “ _Where_ were you!?” She snapped through her teeth, but her eyes widened and she let out a gasp as she grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. “Were you getting _laid_?”

Waverly’s eyes bugged out at her. “ _What_?!” She whisper-shouted. “No! Why?”

Chrissy smacked her arm again and she tugged the collar of her sweater down. “ _No_ , my ass! You’ve got _hickeys_ all over your neck!” 

Her mouth fell open in horror and she quickly unzipped her bag and pulled her make-up mirror out, tipping her head up and checking around, seeing that she had at least _three_ visible hickeys above her collar line. She dropped it back in the bag and sunk down in her chair as she pulled her sweater to her chin, letting out a groan. “I’m gonna kill her.” 

“You _did_ get laid!” 

“I- _No_ , we didn’t-” She pulled the sweater up all the way to cover her face. “ _Later_ , o-”

“ _Miss Earp_.” Waverly quickly poked her eyes out above the hem and snapped her head towards her professor, who was now standing right next to her, maybe a _little_ too close for her liking. “I’d prefer it if you _refrained_ from interrupting my class like that again. _Be_ on time.” 

She quickly nodded with a swallow, “It won’t happen again, Dr. Clootie.”

The man turned and made his way back to the front of the lecture hall. “ _Good_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendsgiving shenanigans in the next chs y'all
> 
> Happy orgasm!
> 
> AJ made me ^ I'm sorry


	10. I Like Yer Jammies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pre-friendsgiving extravaganza!  
> -Read beginning note-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo my guys, how's it hanging? Here's a few notesies:  
> 1\. Thanksgiving is in October in Canada in case you're confused.  
> 2\. The phrase "I'm scared of having sex, not getting a handjob" happened between the time marks 3:41-5:07 if that warns you to anything that might happen there, but there's also a random Dolls encounter so pick your battles I guess.  
> 3\. Sorry for not updating for a second. Queef was having a time with her brain saying nope and also this chapter and her chapter are kinda thicc to make up for it so you're actually welcome for the time between uploading, it gave you more to read.
> 
> Other than that, please enjoy the next two chapters because we spent so long on them and I rewrote 4,000 words of this at one point.  
> -Aj

**Saturday, October 9th, 1993 2:28AM**

"Thanks for all your help tonight," Professor Gardner said, patting Robin's thigh. "My phone numbers on the syllabus if you ever need to talk about class or... anything else."

Robin's eyes widened at the hand on his leg. "Alrigh'y..." he trailed, pushing the truck door open. "Bya, Bitch. Have a good Thanksgivin' or whatnot."

She flashed him her too-white smile and squeezed his thigh. "You too, Leprechaun."

Robin slammed the truck door closed and backed away from it, shoving his hands into the pockets of the jacket he'd thrown on over his cardigan before the Extra Credit Hour had started.

Somehow, he'd let Professor Gardner convince him to let her drive him back to Astronomy Hill after helping more the telescopes back to the Astronomy classroom. When he looked back at the gazebo, he found Jeremy sitting on the ground with his blanket wrapped tightly around himself while he tinkered with R2-D2 some more. 

"Need some help?" he asked as he approached him.

"It's 2:28 in the morning," Jeremy chuckled, glancing down at his watch.

"And I took me a six hour nap after me 3 PM class got out before goin' ta help dat bitch Mercedes. Ya've been up since at least 6 when yer bloody roommate chucked someting at yer head."

Jeremy shrugged, nibbling on his lip while he looked back to R2-D2. "I won't be able to sleep until he's fixed anyways."

"Dat means ya need all t'e help ya can get," Robin insisted with a grin.

Jeremy thought for a second before smiling and holding out his flashlight. "You can hold this."

Robin smiled back, sitting down on the concrete and scooting closer to Jeremy and flicking on the flashlight. "Mind if I borrow a wee bit o' yer blanket?"

"I don't mind a bit." 

Robin watched for a while, making sure the flashlight was equally distributed across all of the pieces that were slowly coming together. "Ya look awfully cute when yer workin'," Robin told him softly after over twenty minutes of peaceful silence. 

"You told me that when you got here before Extra Credit Hour," Jeremy reminded him, staring intently at something he was jiggling around on one of the legs. "But I appreciate it none-the-less.” Robin pressed a soft kiss to Jeremy's cheek and let him continue working. 

Soon enough, Jeremy set down the action figure and stared at it for a moment before looking up at Robin, a surreal amount of pride on his face. Robin felt a surge of excitement pass through his body as he looked at Jeremy. He'd never felt so much pride for someone else before. "All better?" he asked, not able to keep a matching smile off of his face when Jeremy nodded and handed R2-D2 to him.

"Aside from a couple of digs into the plastic, he's good as new."

He felt a sudden overwhelming happiness radiating from Jeremy and kissed his cheek again. "I'm proud o' ya, Shorty. He was in mighty rough shape 'fore ya got yer tools in 'em." 

"Who knew the shop and engineering courses I took last year would pay off?" Jeremy leaned against the wood railing of the gazebo and rested his head on Robin's shoulder. "Thanks for sitting with me."

"Are ya kiddin'?" Robin asked, turning off the flashlight and wrapping his arm around Jeremy. "Every moment with ya puts a smile on me mug."

**3:36 AM**

The early morning October air was bitter, but it seemed to be a hell of a lot more tolerable while holding a tiny human body in your arms.

Robin kissed the top Jeremy's head for what must have been the thousandth time since Jeremy had fallen asleep in his arms. He looked at the R2-D2 that was in the hand that wasn't wrapped around Jeremy's shoulders and grinned, proud that they'd been able to put him all back together... well, Jeremy had been able to put him all back together while he held a flashlight and stared at Jeremy while he worked.

He felt Jeremy's body grow rigid in his arms and his breathing picked up, growing ragged and inconsistent. His body jerked awake and he groaned, trying to straighten up only to find himself restrained. He stared into the streetlights, trying to figure out where he was while struggling to get to his feet. 

"What the hell?" he mumbled, clawing at Robin's arms to try and free himself. 

"It's okay," Robin whispered, holding Jeremy tighter to keep him from hurting himself, obviously startled by his sudden awakening. "Yer at Astronomy Hill."

Jeremy let out a shaky breath, grabbing at Robin's arms to try and ground himself. After taking a few deep breaths, he found himself just calm enough that Robin relaxed his hold on him. 

"Sorry..." he rasped, realizing his fingers were still digging into Robin's arms.

"Don't be sorry, Jer," Robin sighed. "Are ya alrigh'?"

"Yeah..." Jeremy frowned. "I was just- confused, I guess."

Robin took his hand and checked his watch before lacing their fingers together and pulling Jeremy's shivering form closer to him if it were even possible. "Did ya tink ya was stuck?"

Jeremy shrugged, turning his head away and staring intently at one of the streetlights nearest to the gazebo. "I don't know what I thought really."

"Jer," Robin cooed, trying to get him to look at him. "Talk to me."

"I'm fine," he insisted, also checking his watch and then trying to somehow squirm out of Robin's grasp to stand. "We should head back to the dorms. It's really cold out here. I don't even know how you stayed out here with me. You're probably freezing-" 

"Shorty," Robin said, standing and taking one of his hands again. "It's okay... _yer_ okay."

But Jeremy didn't respond. He instead ran a shaking hand through his hair and looked away. 

"Listen, I've actually gotta go get some tings for Friendsgivin'," Robin told him. "Nicole asked me 'bout goin', so I'm assumin' dat she'll be goin' too."

Jeremy nodded. "I figured."

"Well, yer welcome ta come with me if yer feelin' up fer it..." 

Jeremy looked back at him. "I'll have to go back to my dorm to change first."

Robin smiled. "Is dat a yes?"

"Yeah," Jeremy said, collecting his blanket from the ground. "I guess it is. I've got some things I need to get anyways."

**3:41 AM**

As they made their way back to the dorms, they found that there were still a fair amount of (mainly highly intoxicated) people out after parties or get-togethers at one of the three frat houses or at the campus pub. If they weren't drunk, it seemed that that they were on their way to either get drunk or have sex with the person they were walking with or in some cases where grocery bags full of beer and vodka were present, it seemed that both would be occurring.

"Oh, poor gal," Robin groaned, glancing at a girl walking in at least six inch stilettos, doing her best to keep up with the long strides of the boy she was holding hands with. "I'm sensin' a barefoot walk o' shame within t'e next... eh, seven hours."

This made Jeremy smile for the first time since he'd woken up. 

Robin looked down at him, matching his smile. "What? Am I wrong?" 

Jeremy shrugged. "I doubt it." 

"Are ya feelin' better, Shorty?"

"Yeah," Jeremy said quickly.

"Are ya sure?" he asked, bumping Jeremy with his elbow. "I jus’ feel like yer-"

Jeremy shot him a nervous look. "I'm _fine_. Just fucking drop it, alright? I obviously don't want to talk about it. 

Robin flinched, never having heard Jeremy raise his voice like that before. "Sorry..."

"No-" Jeremy sighed, reaching out to brush Robin's hand with his. "It's okay. I didn't mean to snap... I just- There's not a lot to say and what there is to say, I don't want to say it. I don't think that even made sense," he huffed, dragging his hand over his face.

"Jus’ a wee bit worried 'bout ya is all, Shorty," Robin assured him. "Nic does tings like dat when she has her hell shots."

"Her what now?" Jeremy asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Night terrors," he corrected.

Jeremy bit his bottom lip. "Oh..." 

Robin pulled the door to the dorms open for him. "Dat's what it is, ain't it?"

"No- I just... I didn't know what I was for a second and it freaked me out. That's all it was."

Robin nodded, deciding that he wasn't going to push it anymore. Seeing Jeremy so upset had his stomach in knots. "Where are ya?" he asked him. 

"Sixth floor," Jeremy grimaced, heading to the elevator, hoping that there wouldn't be another drunk student passed out in a pool of their own vomit again. "Just a warning, my roommate might be there."

Robin shrugged, hopping into the elevator with Jeremy who was already pressed into the corner, holding onto the bar like he was bracing for the movement. "So?"

"He's definitely going to be hammered if he is there and might have a girl over. I mean, it's not the first time I've walked in on him doing... _things_ like that, but I don't really want to subject _you_ to that. The aftermath often requires eye bleach."

"As a proud Irishman, I tink I'll be able ta handle yer drunkard of a roommate," Robin assured, watching the elevator doors close. He slowly moved towards Jeremy, offering him a hand to hold on to rather than the bar he was squeezing like his life depended on it. 

Jeremy glanced at it and then back to Robin before cautiously taking his hand, a small smile gracing his face. Eventually, Robin was able to pull Jeremy into his chest and hug him as the elevator moved. He felt Jeremy melt into him, hugging him around the middle and pressing a small kiss to his neck that Robin did his best not to focus on because he knew it would lead to inappropriate _physical_ emotions.

"Thank you for dealing with me even though I'm a pain in the ass," Jeremy muttered into his shoulder.

"Don't say dat," Robin whined, rocking Jeremy in his arms. "We've all got our share o' tings ta deal with and t'e tings dat we can help other people deal with. Don't matter what yer goin' t'rough, I'm glad ta help anytime I can. 

"You're sweet," Jeremy mumbled, looking up at him and standing on his toes to kiss him. 

"Only for you, Shorty," Robin teased, smiling down at him.

The elevator opened and Jeremy led Robin to his dorm. He pressed an ear to his door, listening for any sign of his roommate and a girl going at it, but the dorm was completely silent, so he slowly pushed the door open and stuck his head in to be sure that it was empty before opening it the rest of the way and pulling Robin inside.

Jeremy threw the blanket on his bed and set R2-D2 on the shelf where he kept his entire collection of action figures. He opened his closet and toed off his shoes, throwing them inside while he looked for something clean to put on because, despite the fact that he would have loved to stay in Robin's shirt forever, three days in a shirt when you're an anxious sweater is _way_ too many days.

"Dis is cute," Robin admired, looking around at the Star Wars, Batman, and Star Trek posters and memorabilia scattering Jeremy's side of the dorm along with the bookshelf full of action figures, comic books, and chemistry textbooks. "Very nerdy... very you."

Jeremy smiled at him, pulling a plain black t-shirt out of his closet and digging through the drawers for a pair of briefs and loosest black jeans that would allow him to breath after consuming large amounts of food.

"Ya can change out 'here if ya want ta," Robin smirked, sitting down at the edge of Jeremy's bed. "I definitely wouldn't mind dat."

Jeremy shook his head, but the smile lingered on his lips as he threw his clothes onto the bathroom counter and wandered back to his bed, slotting himself between the gap between Robin's thighs. "You're funny." 

Robin looked up at him, a stupid smirk still plastered across his face until Jeremy moved to straddle his hips and loop his arms around his neck. Robin's eyes widened in shock, but he kept his cool, resting his hands on Jeremy's hips and muttering, "I wasn't kiddin', Shorty," against Jeremy's lips before he kissed him.

"All in due time," Jeremy said, kissing back roughly. 

After a few minutes, Robin pulled back, casting Jeremy a nervous look. He moved a hand up to cup Jeremy's jaw, moving his thumb across the shadow of stubble on his cheek. 

"I need ya ta tell me if yer feelin' better, Jer. 'N be honest with me."

Jeremy let go of a heavy sigh, eyes flickering over Robin's face, finding such a genuine concern driven into the creases of his face. "I feel like that's kinda obvious," he said, leaning down to kiss his neck.

Robin took his face in his hands, forcing Jeremy to look at him. "I jus' need to be sure. Ya was a nervous wreck out dere, Shorty," he said softly. "I don't feel comfortable goin' any further if yer not feelin' 100%."

Jeremy sighed, pulling at the sleeves of Robin's jacket. "I’m sure. I just needed a minute to cool down. And I am cool now. _Cool_ as a _cucumber_."

Robin smiled at that, seeing Jeremy's eyes lighten and his familiar, regularly nervous smile tugging at his already somewhat swollen lips. "Now yer back to yer normal, awkward self," Robin said, taking his hands and smirking. "Is it 'cause ya know that I can feel yer boner and it's makin' ya nervous?"

Jeremy's face flushed red and he looked down. "Shut up..."

"No, it's cute," Robin told him, kissing him while he ran his hands down to grab at his ass, causing Jeremy to let out a soft moan into his mouth. "Kinda hot, actually..." Jeremy carded his hands through his hair in retaliation, feeling Robin's jeans grow taught against his and smirked against Robin's lips. "Jeremy," he warned, his voice deep with want.

Jeremy glanced between his eyes and lips and then rolled his hips against Robin's, watching his face contort with pleasure before he grabbed roughly at Jeremy's ass and flipped him onto the bed. He sat up on his knees, Jeremy's legs slotted between his. 

Jeremy's eyes trailed up to the tent in his jeans. "I'll never say anything about you wearing Nicole's jeans ever again," he breathed. 

Robin shook his head, dropping so that his hands were on either side of Jeremy's body and their faces were just inches apart. "I feel like ya don't know what yer getting yerself into, Shorty." 

He caught the small flash of nerves pass Jeremy's eyes before it was replaced with sudden mischief. "I really hope it's more of this," Jeremy whispered, bringing his leg up so that his thigh pressed against Robin's erection. 

Robin collapsed on top of him, moaning into Jeremy's shirt and Jeremy let out a low laugh into Robin's shoulder.

Robin pushed himself up again, raising his eyebrow. "Ya tink dat's funny, do ya?"

"Yeah, actually I do," Jeremy told him, grinning as he moved to do it again. 

Robin sat all the way up, pressing his ass against the tent in Jeremy's jeans and rolling his hips. Jeremy's fingers dug into Robin's thighs, trying to keep from bucking his hips up into Robin's and he shot him a glare.

"That was rude."

Robin scoffed, "That was rude? I'll show ya rude!" He trailed his fingers down Jeremy's body, stopping at his waistband and raising his eyebrow for permission. 

"Wait!" Jeremy gasped, grabbing Robin's wrists. "Wait... I-"

"I was jus’ testing the waters, Shorty. No rush. We can save handjobs fer another time," he assured.

"I just-" Jeremy's face turned an even darker shade of red and he released Robin's wrists to cover his face so Robin couldn't see his embarrassment. " _Turnoffthelightsfirst_ ," he mumbled into his hands. 

Robin leaned down closer to him. "What was dat?"

Jeremy pulled his hands away to reveal a nervous smile on his lips. "I said... turn off the lights first."

"Yer bein' serious?" Robin gasped. "Ya don't need ta-"

Jeremy shook his head. "No, Robin, I mean it," he assured, pulling him down by the collar of his shirt so he could press a short series of kisses up his neck before whispering in his ear, "I want you to."

"Are ya sure?" 

"Unless you want to just go to the store," Jeremy said, a teasing smile on his lips. "Then, yes, I'm sure. Now go turn off the light."

Robin nodded, moving to get to the light switch so fast that he almost fell off the bed. He forced his jacket off on the way to hit the light switch and pulled his shirt over his head on the way back to the bed. "I'm already gettin' hot,” he laughed, fumbling back onto the bed and immediately trying to find Jeremy's lips.

Jeremy grabbed at Robin's hair with one hand as the kiss grew rough, his other hand dragging down his bare back, making Robin moan into his mouth when his nails dug into the skin.

Robin's lips trailed to Jeremy's neck, biting and sucking, testing different spots to find which spots left Jeremy in a fit of moans. His teeth sunk into a soft spot above Jeremy's collarbone and he felt him arch into him a a soft "Fuck" left his lips. 

"Right dere, aye?" Robin mumbled, doing the same thing on the other side.

Jeremy's hips bucked up and his nails dug into Robin's back, leaving them both moaning. "The people next door'll hear us," he warned, but made no effort to keep Robin from biting him again.

"If yer worried 'bout dat now, I pity what dey'll hear later."

"I'm more worried that- fuck," he moaned when Robin nipped at his collar bone. "Xavier'll get called."

"Xavier can suck me white arse," Robin grunted against his skin. 

Jeremy shook his head, arching into Robin again, trying to gain some kind of friction. "He definitely is not allowed to do that."

Robin chuckled, slowly moving down his body, fingers looping under the waistband of his khaki joggers. "Jealous, aye?"

"Maybe a little," he rasped, feeling Robin tug his pants down and throw them across the room. 

"Good."

Robin grabbed at Jeremy's hips, finding that his arms were laying over the hem of his shirt, keeping Robin from exploring the skin underneath. He thought, for a moment, about trying to coax Jeremy into letting him feel his body, giving him free reign, but decided against it. Instead of pressing it or asking why, he chose, instead, to enjoy the bits of Jeremy he did get. 

He ran his fingers down Jeremy's legs and squeezed his thighs, forcing them further apart so that he could press kisses to the inside of his thighs. He felt goosebumps rise on Jeremy's legs and grinned as he dragged his teeth across the sensitive skin. 

Jeremy let out a soft whimper, his hands moving from his shirt to the bed, fisting the sheets as Robin continued to kiss and suck at his thigh. 

"Dat alrigh', Shorty?" Robin asked, taking another bit of skin between his skin while Jeremy squirmed from the sensation. 

"More than alright, I'd say..."

Robin kissed a trail up to the fabric of Jeremy's briefs and crawled back up to meet Jeremy's lips. "Ya gotta tell me if ya want ta stop, alrigh'?" 

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah."

"We could jus' cuddle, ya know? If ya want ta." 

"Robin..." Jeremy groaned, bucking his hips up. 

"Jus' bein' t'orough," Robin chuckled, kissing him again. 

"I'm scared of having sex, not getting a handjob," Jeremy reminded him between heavy kisses.

Robin hummed at this and pressed another kiss to the soft spot above Jeremy's collar bone before moving back down. He hooked his fingers under the waistband of Jeremy's underwear, thumbs grazing over bits of raised skin on his hips and groin as he pulled them down.

He glanced up in the darkness, trying to see some kind of emotion on Jeremy's face, but it was just too dark. Instead of sight, he relied on the physical and verbal reactions he could elicit from Jeremy. 

Slowly, he slid his fingers up Jeremy's thighs, feeling him shiver under his touch. Then, he found Jeremy's member amongst the darkness and wrapped his palm around it. Jeremy sucked in a sharp breath as Robin slid the pad of his thumb across his slit, dragging the precum down the head.

"Fuck," Jeremy moaned, arching up into Robin's hand. 

Robin smiled, clambering up Jeremy's body once more to lay soft kisses on his neck as he worked his hand. Jeremy's hand traced Robin's spine and the muscles of his shoulders, exploring the soft expansion of pale skin through the darkness. He let out muffle moans into Robin's shoulder, doing his best to stifle the noise so the neighbors didn't hear him.

Robin tsked at him, dragging his free hand through Jeremy's hair and pulling his head back against the pillow. "Let 'em hear, Shorty," Robin urged, hovering above Jeremy's lips. "No shame in a wee bit o' pleasure, aye?"

He grinned, tightening his hold on Jeremy's member and hair at the same time that he started sucking on the soft spot above his collarbone without pause. Jeremy's head pressed back against the pillow as he let out the loudest moan Robin had heard yet. His hips jerked up into Robin's hand again, his nails digging into his shoulder blade, only urging Robin to speed up his movements more.

Robin nipped and sucked at Jeremy's neck, lips then trailing over his jaw bone and leaving heavy kisses behind his ear, all while stroking him madly as Jeremy writhed underneath him. 

"I'm- I'm close," he muttered between moans. 

"Good," Robin whispered, his hot breath sending shivers down Jeremy's body. 

He found himself rutting against Jeremy's leg subconsciously as he continued to work his member with quick jerks of his hand. Jeremy pulled him closer, sinking his teeth into Robin's shoulder as he grew closer to a climax. 

"Shite, Jer," Robin moaned, his grip tightening and his hips bucking.

Jeremy threw his head back again and his body started to shudder as he climaxed. His hips jerked erratically into Robin's hand and his nails sunk into the skin on Robin's back as he released. 

Robin's head dropped into the curve of Jeremy's neck as he finished as well, grinding his hips in time with the jerks of his hand.

After over a minute, Jeremy had come down and his still shaking hands dropped onto the bed. Robin rolled off of him, laying on his side to try and see Jeremy through the darkness. He traced his clean hand across Jeremy's shirt, finding that his heart was beating rapidly in his chest.

Neither of them spoke for a long time and at some point Robin thought that Jeremy might have fallen asleep until he sat up, fumbling for something on his night stand. 

"Tissue?" he asked, pressing a box of tissues against Robin's chest so he could find them. 

"T'anks," Robin chuckled, pulling a few from the box and cleaning his hand of Jeremy's cum. 

Jeremy slowly stood off the bed, trying to regain the use of his shaking legs. Robin leaned back, watching his silhouette move through the room. "Lights," he warned before the lights flipped on and Robin squinted at him. Jeremy'd managed to find a pair of sweatpants while fumbling around the room and he was working at the tie to keep them from falling.

"Yer awfully cute," Robin said, watching him from where he was still laying on the bed. "And if I'm not mistaken, I tink I managed to leave a couple a lovebites on ya dis time."

Jeremy smiled at the triumphant look on Robin's face, hand instinctively feeling at his neck and the spots above his collarbone that Robin had found to be specifically effective on him. 

"Ya also got a bit o' someting on me shirt," Robin told him, eyes flickering to the cum stain forming on the front of Robin's Beastie Boys shirt that Jeremy really had to change out of now. 

"You're one to talk," Jeremy teased, looking down to Robin's jeans. 

Robin stuck his tongue in his cheek, shaking his head as he stood from the bed, looking down at the wetness leaking from the inside of his jeans along with what Jeremy had left on him. "Ya came on me jeans, Shorty," he said, grabbing Jeremy's hips and trying to look intimidating, but fell into laughter instead.

"In my defense, you came _in_ your jeans..." Jeremy trailed, poking Robin in the stomach. 

Robin's face burned red in embarrassment and Jeremy couldn't help but smile, seeing Robin blush for the first time. "I ain't done someting _like dat_ since I was like fourteen," Robin told him. Jeremy started to speak but was cut off by a knock at the door. Robin felt him tense and rubbed his back for a moment. "I tink t'e neighbors might have heard ya," he whispered. 

Jeremy shot him a glare before moving to open the door. On the other side was Xavier in a tight black t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants, looking very annoyed that he was awake at almost 4 in the morning. His eyes widened with shock when he saw that the person answering the door was Jeremy rather than his roommate.

"Oh... shit," he gasped. "Jeremy! I definitely never expected to see you on the other end of one of the reports for _this_ room." 

Jeremy felt his face heat up, watching Xavier's eyes trail down to his cum stained shirt and then bounce up to Robin who'd manage to force himself between Jeremy and the door jam.

"Jett, of course..." Xavier groaned.

"Hiya, Dolls," Robin said, grinning. "I like yer jammies."

Xavier's jaw twitched in aggravation. "Mind putting a shirt on? That makes this conversation a lot less awkward for me."

Robin rolled his eyes and turned to scan the floor for the shirt he'd discarded earlier. 

"Might wanna put some antibiotic ointment on those scratches," Xavier told him, looking at the groups of long scratches down Robin’s back. All varied in severity, some hardly visible all the way to the set that had caused a thin trail of blood to fall from them. "I didn't know you had that in you, Chetri," he said, slapping Jeremy on the shoulder.

Jeremy almost _choked_.

Robin turned back, pulling his shirt on over his head. "Jealous?" 

"Not in the slightest... no offense, Jeremy."

Jeremy sighed, leaning back against the door frame as Robin stepped slightly into the hallway with Xavier. 

"Someone heard us messin' 'round, den?" Robin asked. 

"Listen, it's a Friday night. I get a lot of complaints on party nights. I don't care who you sleep with, all I care about is that no one else has to hear it," he said. "So just keep it down so I don't have to come bother you again, okay? And Jett... maybe find some new pants." He slapped Robin on the back at this and Robin's hands balled into fists, his face scrunching up in pain.

"Dat bloody hurts, ya godshite," he groaned, shoving Dolls away from him.

Xavier put up in his hands, slowly backing away. "Sorry... just, uh, have a goodnight, alright?"

" _Yer_ tellin' _me_ ta have a goodnight?" Robin asked incredulously. 

"Shut it, Jett."

Jeremy shook his head, dragging Robin back inside by his arm and kicking the door shut behind them.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked, noticing the sad look on Jeremy's face. "What's dat pout fer?"

"Your back..." Jeremy trailed, suddenly finding it hard to look at him.

"Ah it's not _dat_ bad, is it?" Robin asked, pulling his shirt off again and looking over his shoulder at the mirror hanging on Jeremy's closet door. "Ah, ya really did a number on me, didn't ya? Aw, Shorty, don't look so sad." He pulled Jeremy into a tight hug, having caught Jeremy's face drop just a little more in the mirror. "T'e marks after are one o' t'e best parts of t'e whole ting. Means I getta look at 'em later and remember what happened all over again."

"You _bled_ ," Jeremy whispered into his chest.

"So what? Can't blame yerself fer dat. Ya was in t'e moment, we both was," Robin assured him, pulling away to look Jeremy in the face. "Besides, if I didn't like it, would dis even be ting?" He gestured down his cum soaked crotch. "T'e answer is no."

"That's kinda hot," Jeremy told him, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"See, dat's what I'm sayin'!" Robin agreed. "Now whaddya say, I head back ta me gaff and change and then we meet up down near the library and head to the store?"

"Sounds like a plan," Jeremy agreed.

**5:07 AM**

“Gotta get a trolly," Robin said, pulling one from the line of shopping carts in front of the 24 hour market. 

"You call it a _trolly_?" Jeremy asked, his lips twitching in a smile. 

Robin frowned. "What do ya call 'em?"

"Buggies or shopping carts mainly."

"Oh... I've always called it ‘em trollies. Some older folk call it a carriage, t'ough."

Jeremy pretended to look at a display of pies so Robin wouldn't see the smile breaking across his face. "That's really cute."

Robin pressed himself against Jeremy's back and looked over his shoulder. "I am really cute, I'm glad you've noticed." 

Jeremy sighed and smiled up at him. "At least you're aware of it."

"So, very aware," Robin agreed, taking Jeremy's arm and dragging him away from the pies. "Don't worry 'bout the pies. I'm gonna make some."

"You're going to make pie from _scratch_?" Jeremy asked, raising his eyebrow. 

Robin faked a look of hurt. "Ya realize I work as t'e _only_ morning baker at a _bakery_ , right? I can whip together a couple o' measly pies."

"I didn't say you couldn't," Jeremy argued, throwing a couple bags of chips into the cart. 

"Ya looked at me like ya didn't tink I could," Robin pouted. 

"I'm a firm believer that you can do anything you want to, but I asked because as far as I know, pumpkin and apple pie aren't really Irish delicacies."

Robin shrugged, starting to stack piles of fruit into the cart. "Don't ya doubt me now. I may have had ta ask t'e band director, Allenbach, what kinda sweets ya eat durin' Thanksgivin' ta figure out dat punking pie wasn't jus' a myth from A Charlie Brown Thanksgivin', but dat _doesn't_ mean I can't make t'e best darn punking pie ya _ever_ did taste."

"Wait, what's it called?" Jeremy asked, his mouth agape in amazement. 

"What do ya mean?" Robin asked, eyeing him suspiciously. "Are ya gonna make fun o' me accent?"

Jeremy rubbed his back. "No, of course not. I just want to hear you say pumpkin again."

"Ya mean a _punking_?" 

"That's gotta be the most _adorable_ thing I've heard in my entire life," Jeremy said, kissing Robin on the cheek.

Robin glanced around to see if there was anyone around, forgetting for a moment that no one in their right mind was shopping before 5 AM on a Saturday. He pulled Jeremy between him and the cart and leaned close to him. "We're sayin' t'e same ting."

Jeremy shook his head. " _Pumpkin_." 

" _Punking_ ," Robin said, trying to repeat what Jeremy had said. 

"Pump-"

" _Pun_ ," Robin parroted.

"Pump, with a P at the end."

" _Pun-p_ ," he stuttered. " _Punpking_."

Jeremy smiled, cupping Robin's cheek and kissing him. "You're adorable." Robin frowned in response and Jeremy's smile faded. "What's wrong?"

"No one's ever called me dat 'fore..." Robin trailed. "'Cause I'm taller dan everyone. Can't be _adorable_ when ya make everyone look tiny."

"Lucky for you," Jeremy said, turning around to help push the cart. "You're so fucking adorable that it absolutely melts my heart everyday." 

Robin wrapped an arm around Jeremy's waist, hugging him close for a moment before continuing to push the cart. "Yer too sweet on me, Shorty."

"I'm just honest," Jeremy corrected. 

Robin couldn't keep from smiling as they walked. 

"You're making it all vegan, right?" Jeremy asked nervously as Robin started down the eggs and dairy isle.

Robin nodded, finding a rice based milk amongst everything else. "O' course... and what are ya goin' ta bring, den? Since ya can't bring the punpking pie."

"Me cooking is an absolutely disastrous idea, so I'll be bringing a cracker and vegan cheese platter, boxed wine, and chips and dip." 

"Yer bringin' _boxed_ wine?"

"What's wrong with boxed wine?" Jeremy argued. 

Robin grimaced, pushing the buggy into the next aisle. "If yer not gonna bring good wine, I'd much rather drink whiskey or-"

" _Guinness_?" Jeremy questioned. "There was a stack of it in the corner of your dorm yesterday." 

"Observant..." Robin grabbed some cans of pumpkin puree and scanned the back of it for ingredients before setting four cans of it into the buggy. "It's an Irish ting, Guinness is. You'll never find a house dat ain’t got it." 

"I guess I don't really know a lot about Ireland or Irish culture..." Jeremy trailed, thinking about everything he might have learned in school. "Do you wear kilts- or is that _Scotland_?"

Robin rolled his eyes. "Dat's all anyone associates with us. For one, dat's more of a Scotts' ting. Some do wear 'em, but, at least fer when I was in Irish Step, I wore t'e costumes with t'e pants and the sparkly shirts."

"You did _Irish step dance_?" Jeremy asked, a smile breaking across his face. He was suddenly so glad that Robin was pressed against his back and couldn't see his face. 

"Ya gonna make fun o' me, Shorty?" Robin questioned, dropping his chin onto Jeremy's shoulder as they walked.

Jeremy turned around his arms, stopping them and the buggy. " _No_! I think it's cute." 

Robin broke away from him, grabbing a couple things from the shelf and dropping them into the buggy as well. "I was dang good at it, too. Won loads of competitions by secondary school. Nic was in it for a while, but she didn't like t'e dresses dey made her wear." 

"I wouldn't like being made to wear a dress either," Jeremy agreed, catching snort from Robin. "Will you dance for me sometime?"

Robin shook his head, starting to push the cart again. "I ain't danced since I was _sixteen_ , Shorty." 

"That's not a no..." 

They arrived at the alcohol and Jeremy pulled away from Robin, grabbing two cheap boxes of red wine and setting them in the buggy. 

"Yer gonna have ta get me _real_ drunk fer me ta dance fer ya, and shite like _dis_ ain't gonna cut it," Robin said, holding up one of the boxes with his face contorted in disgust. He set it down and observed the aisle before reaching for a bottle of some classy looking white wine and holding it out to Jeremy. "Dis is what I'm talkin' 'bout. If yer gonna get wine drunk, do it right, aye?"

"Are you some kind of wine connoisseur now?"

"No, but I am a borderline alcoholic," Robin chuckled and then noticed a nervous look pass over Jeremy's face. "I'm _kiddin_ '! Kinda..."

**5:45 AM**

By the time they'd found everything they needed, Jeremy was in the buggy cuddling a cheese platter.

"I like yer jacket, by t'e way," Robin said as he pushed the buggy out of the store and helped Jeremy hop out and collect several of the grocery bags. 

Jeremy looked down at his red, green, and blue color block bomber jacket. "Oh, thank you... It's one of my favorites." 

They started to walk towards the bakery on the other edge of campus, arms loaded with bags. Jeremy couldn't help but watch Robin walk slightly ahead of him as he talked on and on about things that excited him. He had an almost ever present energy about him that just made Jeremy equally excited while he talked about things that Jeremy had never even heard of before.

"I'm rambling, ain't I?" he asked, turning to face Jeremy as he walked.

Jeremy shook his head, knowing he was smiling. "No, I like it."

"Ya know, Shorty," Robin started, turning back around and jumping to walk across a bench, the grocery bags threatening to fall from his arms. "Yer one o' t'e only people I don't feel like I have ta be high ta be 'round."

"Really?" 

"Yeah... Even Rosie, I know she doesn't mean ta, don't get me wrong, but she gets annoyed with me pretty fast. T'ough, she does have ta spend several hours with me at a time. Ya jus’ let me talk and ya listen too."

"You let me talk too," Jeremy mumbled. "Especially when I'm anxious and rambling."

"Dat's cause yer bloody adorable."

"Right back at you."

Jeremy caught a big smile spread across Robin's face before he disappeared into the darkness of the alley next to the bakery.

"You've got a key?" he asked, trying to help Robin balance several bags while he opened the back door.

"O' course I got a key. I get 'ere first every morning," Robin explained. 

He pushed the door to the kitchen open with his foot and Jeremy followed him in, fumbling blindly in the darkness. Robin hit a light and the kitchen was illuminated under harsh kitchen lights. Jeremy found a stainless steel counter in the middle of the room and him and Robin piled their bags there and started to unload them.

Robin showed him where to store the cheese along with finding him plates and bowls to store the chips and dips in. He then turned to a stereo that was propped up by the main counter where the cooking was done and pressed play, causing a stream of soft jazz to start pouring out of it.

"Is this what you listen to while you work?"

"Dis is what I listen ta all t'e time, if I'm bein' honest with ya," Robin admitted, swaying to the soft beats while starting to prep ingredients for the pie crusts. "Ya know dis is gonna take a while, right?"

"So?" Jeremy asked, leaning against the counter and watching Robin search for something among the ingredients he collected. 

Robin paused, turning towards him. "I don't want ya ta jus’ have ta stand around while I do dis. Yer gonna get bored watchin' me." 

"I doubt that."

Robin sighed at Jeremy's persistence and walked past him, finding two spare orange aprons and throwing one at Jeremy. "Den I don't wanna get yer nice clothes all covered in flour 'n shite," he said, tying one around himself and turning back to the bowl he'd pulled out from under the counter.

"What can I do to help?" Jeremy asked, wrapping his arms around Robin's waist from behind and pressing a soft kiss to his shoulder blade where he knew there were some deep scratches. 

Robin turned around in his arms and smiled softly. "You, Shorty-" He gripped his hands onto Jeremy's waist and picked him up to set him on the counter. "-can sit here and keep me company."

Jeremy was now just above eye level with Robin. He smiled, pulling at the collar of the button down that was sticking out above the neckline of the gray sweater Robin was wearing. "You know, I think this is the first time I've seen you wear something other than a t-shirt."

Robin smiled, leaning against the counter between Jeremy's legs. "Dis is me 'I'm kinda tryin'" outfit."

“I feel like it also has something to do with the fact that you’re trying to cover up all the hickeys on your neck.”

“Yer doin’ t’e same ting, Shorty,” Robin said, tugging at the collar of Jeremy’s jacket that just so happened to be high enough to cover all of the hickeys Robin had left that had managed to become highly visible despite his dark complexion.

Jeremy's face reddened and Robin grinned in satisfaction, moving back to his bowl and starting to work on the pie crust while Jeremy watched him intently. 

“Why ya lookin’ at me like dat?” Robin asked him suddenly.

“Like what?” Jeremy asked, snapping out of the daze he’d fallen into. 

“Like yer about to shag me on the table-”

“Hey boys!” Rosita called, kicking the kitchen door open with her foot and strutting over to the counter and dropping a few bags of groceries down. “Who’s excited for my world famous casseroles?”

Jeremy grinned at the disappointment on Robin’s face. “I’m super excited,” he told her. “What about you, Robin?”

“I need a smoke…” he groaned.

“I’ll come with,” Jeremy said, hopping off the counter and following him into the alley while Rosita watched them with a raised eyebrow.

“Fucking weirdos…” she grumbled as the back door swung close behind them. “ _I_ _’m_ excited for my casseroles.”

**6:34 AM**

After making a batch of mashed potatoes upon Robin’s request and instruction, Jeremy jumped back onto the counter, kicking his legs to keep from slipping off. He caught a small laugh pass through Robin’s lips and he shot him a glare. “Is that funny.”

“No, Shorty,” Robin said, looking up from the pie crust he was folding. “Yer jus’ really-” His eyes flickered to Rosita who was working on her casserole and he frowned. “Short.”

“I’m 5 foot 7, meaning that I’m taller than the average Indian man and hardly under average for the average Canadian,” Jeremy argued. “By that logic, _I’m_ proportional.”

Robin grinned, placing a floured hand on Jeremy’s thigh. “Whatever makes ya feel better.”

Jeremy shot him a look and Robin pulled his hand away, revealing a white hand print on Jeremy’s black jeans. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he groaned, trying to wipe it away.

“You two are disgusting,” Rosita groaned. 

“How do ya figure?” Robin asked, straightening up a little. 

She rolled her eyes. “You act like I _can’t_ see what’s going on between you two. I’ve known since you went to the alley together and Jeremy started making googly eyes at you.”

Robin saw Jeremy start twisting his bracelets around his wrist and biting his lip, signs that he was starting to get anxious.

“I don’t care, either, by the way,” Rosita clarified, seeing the concern on Robin’s face. “You’re my friends. Who you’re attracted to is not only _none_ of my business, but also totally okay ‘cause I’ve made out with my fair share of girls.” 

Robin grinned. “Yer a lesbian?”

“Kinda…” She thought about it for a second. “I like guys too so I guess I’m… what do you call it? _Bisexual_?” 

“So you don’t care if we like… kiss around you?” Jeremy asked quietly.

She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. But if I hear one of you moan, I’m kicking you out. That’s a general rule of thumb for everyone, though.”

“That’s fair,” Jeremy agreed. “But Rosie, don’t say anything to the other girls, alright?” 

She shrugged. “What’s said in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen.”

**8:43 AM**

“You know we don’t need _this_ many pies, right?” Rosita asked, looking at the four pies on the cooling racks and then to the oven where Robin had stuck two more into thirty minutes before. 

“Well I didn’t know what kinda pie everyone liked…” Robin mumbled, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm. He’d pulled off his sweater soon after the first oven turned out and had rolled up the sleeves of the button down underneath to try and not get them dirty. 

“What all did you even make?” she asked, leaning forward to sniff the cooling pies. “Pumpkin, apple… is this a- I don’t even know. It smells like cheese?”

“I was jus’ kinda messin’ ‘round with dat one. Shepherd's pie with tofu instead o’ meat, vegan cheese, t’e mashed potatoes I had Jeremy whip up, bit a carrots and peas, and me personal touch, some good ol’ Guinness.” 

“Where did you get Guinness?”

“Keep some in t’e cooler.”

Rosita gaped at him. “Do you _drink_ on the job?”

He smirked at her. “Only when yer being especially annoying.” 

She rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. “Alright, _hickey boy_ , you’ve got pumpkin, apple, shepherd’s, and what must be a pecan pie? What’s in the oven?” 

“Sweet potato and blueberry, only cause I saw dat it gets a cute little basket weave and I t’ought it’d be fun,” he explained, leaning back between Jeremy’s legs where he was now sitting back on the counter. 

Jeremy smiled, draping his arms across Robin’s shoulders and kissing the top of his head. “They all look really good, Babu.”

“What?” Robin asked, turning around in his arms.

“What?” Jeremy parroted, his eyes growing wide in realization of what he’d said.

“What’d ya call me?” 

“I didn’t call you anything,” he lied.

Robin raised an eyebrow at him. “Was that Hindu?”

Jeremy's face reddened. “Yeah…”

“What’dya say, Shorty?” Robin begged. “Tell me!” 

“It’s not important,” he insisted. 

“Did ya learn dat in yer Indian Culture class?” 

Jeremy shook his head. “It’s… it’s what my mom used to call me.”

“So ya _did_ call me someting, aye?” 

“Girls are here,” Rosita announced, peering out of the kitchen door that led to the lobby. 

Robin sighed, pulling away from Jeremy and tugging the sleeves of his shirt down. He slipped back into his sweater, fixing the collar and looking back to Jeremy. “Coverin’ everyting?” 

Jeremy reached out, adjusting the collar a little more. “Perfect.”

Robin kissed his cheek before helping him off the counter and going into the lobby where the girls were starting to set things down. “Hi, Ladies!” he greeted, helping Waverly with a big dish she was trying to find somewhere to set. 

Nicole glared at him. “Where’ve ya been?” she spat.

“What?” he questioned, taking a few things back to the kitchen to put them in the cooler.

“Ya took a nap ‘n den took off and never came home! I been worried sick. Hardly slept last night.”

He shrugged. “Ya seemed ta be sleepin’ pretty well when I came home dis mornin’. Is dat me hat?” He reached up, taking the scaly cap from her head and putting it on his own. 

“Dat’s why I said _last night_ , ain’t it?” She glared at the hat, contemplating taking it back from him but deciding against it. 

“Nic, I’m a grown ass man. I can go out fer a night and ya don’t have ta worry ‘bout me.”

“I jus’ wanna know where ya went off ta,” she grumbled.

Robin sighed, checking on the pies in the oven and moving to take them out. “Had me Extra Credit Hour fer Astro ‘n den I went ‘n hung out with a mate fer a while, alrigh’? Does dat answer yer questions, ya nosy lil’ bitch?” 

She scoffed, punching him in the arm after he’d set down both of the pies on the cooling wrack. “Who’s the lucky lad, den?”

“Whatcha mean?” he asked, subconsciously pulling his collar up.

“Hangin’ with yer _mate_? _Really_? Woulda t’ought it was someone ya was shaggin’ considerin’ all t’e love bites, but ya got all dressed up fer _someone_ yesterday and den ya disappeared all night. Ya met someone, didn’t ya? No way ya’d be actin’ all secretive like dis over a shag mate.”

Robin sighed, leaning on the counter and looking at her. “Even if dere were a lad I was seein’, which I’m not sayin’ dere is, we’d be, _hypothetically_ o’ course, keepin’ in between us fer t’e time bein’. Too early ta say fer sure dat it’ll work out and we don’t wanna cause an excitement ‘bout someting dat might not last more dan a few weeks, aye?”

“And dat’s all jus’ mayhaps dere is a bloke ya fancy?” 

Robin smiled a little and nodded. “Definitely jus’ mayhaps… but if he were ta be real, ya should know I don’t tink I felt dis feelin’-” He patted his chest where his heart was. “-with any o’ t’e other lads I’ve ever been with.” 

“Awe, Robbie, dat’s real sweet, ya know it?”

“Aye, can it, Kid!” he groaned. “Better go find yer girlfriend ‘fore she get’s all worried ‘bout ya.”

“She ain’t me mot!” Nicole huffed, knocking the brim of his hat. “Not yet, anyhow.”

After Robin and Rosita had all of their dishes out of the ovens and into warmers, Waverly and Nicole disappeared into the kitchen to start cooking their food. The other four started pushing the tables together and setting out paper tablecloths that Rosita had brought. They also decided to add the chips, crackers, cheese, and dips that had been brought to snack on before all the food was ready. 

“And that’s why, for legal reasons, that’s the worst date I’ve ever been on with a guy,” Rosita concluded with a laugh. 

“That’s super disturbing,” Jeremy agreed. “I can’t believe you didn’t realize what was going on when you got there and he didn’t have a dog.”

“In my defense, I was so excited to be going on any kind of a date that I didn’t really care that much.”

“You know,” Chrissy said, moving closer to where Robin was sitting next to Jeremy on the counter. “I haven’t been on a date in a long time either.”

Robin chuckled nervously as she leaned against him. “Why’s dat?”

“Because she sleeps with guys before they can ask her out,” Rosita teased. 

“It’s because no boys _appreciate_ me,” Chrissy hissed at her. 

“I can’t imagine why,” Robin muttered, shoving a cracker into his mouth. 

Chrissy smiled at him. “ _You’re_ the kind of guy that appreciates a girl like _me_.” 

Robin’s eyes widened and he looked between Jeremy and Rosita for help but they just continued to watch, amused smiles on their faces. “Are we sure ‘bout dat, Love? I’m sure dere’s better kinds o’ guys.” 

“Of course I’m sure!” she gasped, sitting on the counter next to him and pushing a strand of hair out of his face. “You’re cute and funny _and_ you’ve got an accent. I’m gorgeous and more funny and I like guys with accents. We’d equal each other out, don’t you think?” 

“Chrissy, did you know that Robin can also speak another language,” Jeremy told her, smiling when Robin shot him a heavy glare.

“Oh that’s _so_ hot,” Chrissy squealed.

Robin got off the counter and tried to walk away but Jeremy grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?” he whined.

“I’m gonna smoke if ya wanna join-”

“I’ll come!” Chrissy said, jumping down and almost toppling over in her heels. 

“I’d rather go alone,” Robin announced, gritting his teeth and slipping into the oddly empty kitchen. He sighed, going towards the alley door and pulling a joint and a lighter out of his pocket, starting to light it as he nudged the door open with his hip. “Ah _fer feck’s sake!_ Really, Nic? _Again_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who enjoyed that sick Jetri handjob? I sure did. Sorry for your eyes if you didn't enjoy it, you were warned. Also I really love lil Robin and Nic moments like that and there may or may not be more to comeee. ALso bisexual Rositaaa  
> 


	11. Ya Really Got Some Bad Timin’, Mate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love us some Friendsgiving shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Y'all!  
> Here's your WayHaught installment of Friendsgiving! Sorry this took so long, it was my fault. I got caught up in some hella writer's block and AJ had to put up with my annoying ass until I got out of it. (That's also why YAMHP is taking a while cause WHOOPS I have barely started the next chapter) (If you aren't reading YAMHP yet, go do it, it's a crackhouse over there, too. Here's the linkadoodle: https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/43219694/ )  
> But here we are!  
> Hope you guys enjoy! I personally really like how this turned out and I hope you guys do too (Especially one part that I'm not sure if people will agree with)

**Friday, October 8th, 1993 8:13 PM**

“ _Why_ would you wanna get _marshmallows_?!” Waverly gasped as she ripped the bag out of Chrissy’s hand.

The blonde blinked at her and her brow dipped sadly. “For my sweet potatoes.”

Waverly shoved the bag back onto the shelf. “We’ve _already_ established that everything there is going to be vegan, and _those_ are not vegan.”

“What?” Chrissy asked with furrowed brows, grabbing the bag back and flipping it over to read the ingredients. “I already looked at what’s in it. There’s no milk or anything in these.”

“There’s _gelatin_ , though,” Waverly huffed.

“What’s wrong with gelatin?” She mumbled as she looked back up at her.

“Do you know how they _make_ gelatin, Chrissy?” The brunette questioned with raised brows as she crossed her arms.

“No . . .”

“They _boil_ skin and bones and stuff from _animals_.” She watched her eyes bulge out. “Yea. You _really_ wanna eat those now?”

She let out a gagging noise as she put the bag back. “ _Nope_.”

“Didn’t think so.”

They continued on walking, heading up the can aisle and finding the few things that they needed. Waverly dropped three cans into the shopping cart, leaning forward against the handle and sliding her hand under her sweater to fix her bra strap on her shoulder. Chrissy walked over and set a can in the cart, doing a double-take as she looked up at her. “ _Jesus_ ,” she mumbled, moving closer and grabbing the collar of Waverly’s sweater, peeking down it, seeing the _many_ marks and bites on her collarbones and upper chest. 

Waverly smacked her away. “ _Quit_ ,” she whined. 

“So are you gonna tell me what y’all did now?” The blonde asked with a shitty grin. “I’m not the master of lesbian sex, so you might have to-” 

“We _didn’t_ have _sex_ ,” the brunette snapped under her breath.

“They why won’t you tell me what you did, huh?” 

The brunette pursed her lips, slowly walking the cart forward and looking down at her shopping list. “We . . . made out and she . . .” she turned to grab a container of spices, “dryhumpedme.”

Chrissy let out a laugh. “Oh my God, wait did you-”

Waverly smacked her hand over her mouth with a glare, dropping the container into the cart as her face turned bright red. “ _Yep_.”

The blonde’s eyes widened at her and she pulled her hand off her mouth. “Well, was it good?!” 

She let out a shaky breath as she thought back to it, tipping her head at Chrissy’s amused smile. “Would I, _Waverly Earp_ , have been late to class if it _wasn’t_ the best thing in the world?” 

Chrissy smirked as they walked out of the aisle and headed towards the produce section. “Damn, Dude. Who woulda thought a giant sexy redhead would turn my bestie into a sex addict?” 

“ _Chrissy_.” She smacked her with a stalk of celery.

She let out a huff, “So you _haven’t_ thought about it a million times today since it happened?”

Waverly pursed her lips, wandering over to the carrots. “That doesn’t make me a _sex addict_ . We- It wasn’t _sex_.” 

“You’re telling me that-”

“Were you there?” She questioned, quickly turning to face her. 

“W- No,” the blonde mumbled, the smile falling from her lips. 

“Then I don’t think _you_ get to decide what _what happened_ is classified as.” She dropped the carrots she used to point at Chrissy with into the cart, grabbing the handle and pushing the cart down the line of vegetables. 

“ _Waves_ ,” Chrissy called, letting out a sigh as she jogged for a second to catch up to her. “I’m sorry. I just- All of this is new to you and I keep forgetting that.”

“Unlike _someone_ , I _didn’t_ give up my V-card my freshman year of high school in the back of some _senior’s_ pick-up truck over spring break.”

“ _Ouch_ ,” Chrissy winced. 

“And I’m _sorry_ that my body count isn’t the same number as a team’s players on a _football field_.” 

“Dude,” she mumbled, voice breaking a little with sadness. “What’s your deal?”

Waverly let out a breath, relaxing her muscles as she turned towards her. “I’m sorry, it’s just . . . I don’t like being interrogated, ok? I’m still trying to figure this all out myself.”

“I know,” Chrissy said, walking towards her and running her hands down her arms. “I’m just used to you talking to me about everything, and . . .” She dropped her hands. “Now you don’t.” 

Waverly let out a whined groan, stepping forward and wrapping her in a hug. “I’m sorry.” 

The blonde smiled as she hugged her back, rocking them side to side for a second. “It’s alright.” Waverly pulled back and nudged her glasses up her nose as she met her eyes. “Just . . . know I’m here for you, alright? Anything and everything, don’t forget that.” 

The brunette nodded with a smile, “Anything and everything.” She turned and grabbed the cart. “C’mon, we need to go find a tofurky somewhere.” 

Chrissy followed her as she pushed the cart along, brows slowly furrowing. “. . . How do you even know how many players from a team are on a football field?” 

Waverly threw her a look. “I basically grew up with your football fanatic father, remember?” 

Chrissy snorted, shaking her head. “I think you retained more of that information than I did and _I_ lived with him.”

“I retain more information than you mostly all of the time,” Waverly smirked, getting a smack to the arm.

**Saturday, October 9th, 1993 7:35 AM**

“ _Chrissy_!” 

“ _What_?” The blonde huffed as she stood in front of the mirror and fixed her hair. 

“What is _this_?!” Waverly asked as she held up a plastic container. 

“Uh, _that’s_ a fruit platter,” she said slowly as she walked over to their dorm kitchen. 

“I _know_ it’s a fruit- _Why_ did you buy a fruit platter?!”

“ _Because_ I wanted a fruit platter?” She offered, throwing a hand out. 

“How hard would it have been to _buy_ some fruit and _cut_ it up yourself? Cause _now_ we’ve got this plastic-”

Chrissy pulled it out of her hand with a groan. “Waverly, we are _broke,_ and fruit is _expensive_. But this?” She shook the container. “This _wasn’t_ expensive.”

Waverly was _about_ to snap back at her, but Chrissy was saved by the bell- or rather, the phone ringing. The brunette threw her a sharp glare, wiping her hands off on her pants as she walked over and grabbed the phone, putting it to her ear. “Hello?” 

“Mornin’ Darlin’,” Nicole answered with obvious happiness in her voice. 

“Hi, Baby,” Waverly smiled. “What’s up?”

“I, uhm . . . Robbie’s gone to t’e bakery already, so I’m a wee bit lonely preppin’ me food all by me lonesome. I was jus’ wonderin’ if maybe t’e two o’ ya’d like some company?”

“I don’t know about Chris, but I’d _love_ some company,” Waverly said with a tiny smirk, flicking her eyes towards the blonde.

“Wouldja?” Nicole asked.

“Of _course_. C’mon over,” the brunette assured. “Besides, Chrissy’s pissing me off anyways.”

“ _Hey_!” Chrissy shouted in offense. 

“What? You are.” 

“ _Asshole_.” 

“ _Right_ back at you.”

Nicole chuckled, “Alrigh’, Love. Lemme gather all me tings ‘n I’ll be right over.” 

“Sounds good, Bub. See you then.” 

“See ya,” the redhead said before the line hung up. 

Waverly set the phone back down and walked back over to where she was working on her tofurky. “ _Now_ you can third wheel as punishment for being lazy.”

“Broke and lazy are two _totally_ different things,” Chrissy grumbled as she pulled an apron on herself and dropped a bunch of carrots on the cutting board in front of her. 

About 10 minutes later, Waverly’s ears perked up at the knock at the door. She set down the spoon she was holding and walked over, opening the door with a smile, “Hey!” She moved out of the way so the redhead could get in with all of the bags in her arms.

Nicole leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips as she passed her. “Hi, Dear. Hiya, Chrissy.”

“Sup, Haught.”

Waverly’s eyes widened at her as she moved to the kitchen and set her bags on the floor by the counter. She slowly closed the door, tracing her eyes up and down her outfit when she turned around. “You look great, Bub,” she smiled as she pulled on the leather suspenders she had hooked on her pants over her grey denim button-up. 

Nicole smirked a little, letting her hands fall to Waverly’s waist under her maroon cardigan as she looked her over. “As do you.”

The brunette blushed and arched into her as she leaned down into a kiss, moving her hands up to her cheeks. “I’m bare-minimum fancy,” she mumbled, looking down at her plain grey shirt that was tucked into a darker grey pair of high-waisted jeans.

“T’ose lil’ bootie tings make it fancy.”

Waverly glanced down at her black heeled ankle-boots with a giggle, looking back up at her with a shake of her head. “Well, you _are_ fancy all over . . .” Nicole’s shirt was tucked into a pair of dark khakis and she had some leather high-top Vans on her feet. “But this right here brings it home.” Waverly ran her thumbs across the brim of the grey scaly cap on her head with a grin.

“Does it now?” Nicole mumbled with a raised brow.

Waverly nodded, pulling her back down into a kiss. “It does.” 

“Too bad it’s Robbie’s.”

“Aw, thanks, guys. I think my outfit’s cute today, too,” Chrissy said with a roll of her eyes as she continued to cut up her vegetables. 

Nicole pulled from Waverly’s lips and looked towards her back with raised brows. “Ya look lovely, Chrissy.”

The blonde turned around with a smile. “Awe. Why _thank_ you, Nicole.”

“Yer welcome.” Nicole pressed one last peck to Waverly’s forehead before stepping away from her and moving to her bag of semi-prepped food. 

“ _So_ Nicole . . .” Chrissy started, waiting for the redhead to look towards her. 

“ _Chrissy_ ,” Waverly warned. 

She ignored her, continuing on anyway. “Did you have a good day yesterday?”

Waverly’s face went bright red and she threw her a sharp glare before looking towards Nicole with a sigh of apology. The redhead sucked the inside of her cheek in to keep a laugh down as she flicked her eyes back to the grinning blonde. “I mean, I tink Waves hadda _much_ better time dan I did, but dat’s sayin’ a lot cause I hadda _blast_.” 

“Oh my God,” Waverly muttered, but she turned towards the redhead with her hands on her hips. “ _Speaking of that,_ I have a bone to pick with you.”

“What’s dat?” Nicole asked, also setting her hands on her hops to mock the brunette. 

“You see this shirt? How _high_ the neckline is?” She ran her finger across the crew neck of her t-shirt. “This is one of the only shirts I could wear because of _these things_.” She reached up and grabbed Nicole’s lips, feeling her muscles trying to pull them into a smile. She let her face go, putting her hands back on her hips. “Because _I_ didn’t wanna have to put make-up from my forehead to my tits!” 

The redhead tipped her head at her. “If ya didn’t want me ta mark ya all up, ya coulda told me.” 

Waverly’s mouth fell open, stuttering for a few seconds. “Wh- I never said that,” she mumbled. 

One side of Nicole’s lip lifted and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Den what’re ya mad about, Love?” 

“Cause I couldn’t wear the shirt I wanted to!” She whined.

Chrissy rolled her eyes and Nicole shook her head, going back to unloading the bags she brought. “What’re ya both bringin’?” She questioned.

“Chrissy’s _fruit platter_ ,” Waverly grumbled, getting a smack to the arm. 

“I’m also _making_ sweet potatoes and a pan of roasted veggies,” she informed as she sprinkled some seasoning over the pan of said veggies.

“I’m bringing the tofurky and cauliflower stuffing,” Waverly said, looking towards Nicole. “What’re you making?” 

“I’m makin’ mac ‘n cheese- vegan of course, don’t yap at me- and Robin’s makin’ me make roasted spuds _and_ some colcannon.” 

“ _Awe_ , Baby, you say _spuds_ ?” “What in the _fuck_ is a _colcannon_?”

Nicole blushed dark as she flicked her eyes between them, astounded at their synchronicity, but she finally stopped on Waverly’s face. “I, uh, yea.” 

“Awe,” Waverly cooed, standing up on her toes to press a kiss to her cheek. She ran her hand down her arm. “I do agree, though. What is _whatever_ that thing you said?” 

“Colcannon?” The redhead asked with a chuckle. Waverly nodded. She smiled as she continued pulling things out of the bag. “It’s normally jus’ mashed spuds mixed with cabbage, _but_ I’m makin’ me ma’s recipe which has kale and green onions along with it.”

“Ooo, sounds good,” Waverly said as she slid her hand down her back. 

“Trust me, it’s _deadly_ . T’ough, I’m sure she’d fly ‘er arse over ‘ere and knock me upside t’e head if she knew I be usin’ dis- What is dis?” She turned the carton in her hand. “ _Soy_ milk ‘stead o’ cream.” She looked down at Waverly’s small furrow of her brow, pressing a kiss to it. “But it wouldn’t matta cause yer too bloody dotey fer me ta give a shite.”

“Dotey?” The brunette questioned. 

“ _Adorable_ ,” Nicole corrected with a dimpled smile, watching the pink color her cheeks.

Shaking her head, Waverly returned to where she had been working with a sigh. “Get to _colcannoning_ , you.” 

“Yes, Ma’am,” the redhead smirked, moving behind her and dropping her hand to her hip as she leaned forward to grab the knife sitting in the drying rack. Waverly pulled in a breath and dropped her hand on top of her’s with a warning squeeze.

“I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again . . .” Chrissy kept her face scrunched up as she looked between them, “You guys make me wanna puke.” 

“Good,” they both smirked at the same time, looking towards one another with giggles.

Chrissy sighed, focusing back on her sweet potatoes. “I’m too single for this.” 

**9:01 AM**

Nicole and Waverly began shoving all of their food into the ovens in the bakery, including Chrissy’s, and putting whatever needed to go on the stovetop on it. Waverly watched from the counter behind the redhead as she rolled her sleeves to her elbows, swallowing as she watched her forearm muscles work while she stirred her mac ‘n cheese. She walked over and leaned her hip against the counter Nicole was near, shifted slightly to face her. “You like cooking, don’t you?” She had noticed that while they were at her and Chrissy’s dorm and then when they had gotten into The Muffin Man kitchen that Nicole seemed to be just a _little_ more happy than usual. 

Nicole looked towards her, giving her a dimpled smile. “I do.”

“Why’s that? Cause cooking stresses me out.” 

The redhead grabbed the soy milk off the counter and added a little more to the pot. “I always hadda cook fer me siblin’s when I was younger. I was t’e oldest ‘n me parents were always busy- Nicolas was huntin’ or jus’ dealin’ with the company ‘n dere was always a newborn me ma was tendin’ ta, so I had most of t’e responsibility ta be sure dey weren’t starvin’ ta death. I guess it grew from dat. Dey got fussy when I served ‘em cereal or oatmeal every night, so I had ta learn how ta make actual foods.”

Waverly nodded with a hum, cocking her head a little, though. “How come Noah didn’t help you? You two are basically the same age, right?” 

She watched the redhead’s jaw clench as she looked towards her. “. . . When it came to t’e family business, it didn’t _matter_ dat I was a girl ‘n he was a boy. I was still expected ta get out dere ‘n shoot anythin’ dat moved, fetch it, ‘n bring it back ‘n gut it _jus’_ like he did. But when it came ta our home life, Noah didn’t have _any_ responsibilities. He wanted ta, he did. He tried ta help clean ‘n cook ‘n take care of t’e little ones, but Nicolas’d jus’ drill his arse fer it cause it was _womanly duties_ or whatever . . .” She shook her head. “I dunno if ya can tell, but me ‘n me father don’t have t’e _best_ relationship in t’e world.” 

The brunette let out a breath, “I can see why.”

Nicole nodded, dropping the lid on the pot. “Yea . . .” She let out a chuckle, “Ya shoulda seen his face when I told ‘em I was j-” She cut herself off, eyes going wide for a moment. 

“When you what?” Waverly questioned with a furrowed brow.

She shook her head, dropping her hands to the brunette’s hips and squeezing in the room between her and the metal island behind her, standing there for a moment to press a kiss to her cheek. “Nevermind.” 

Waverly pulled in a breath when her front was right against her back, swallowing as she moved past her to grab the serving pan she had brought with her. “No, what were you saying?” She insisted, turning sideways so she wasn’t able to get past her.

Nicole shook her head again, trying to get around her. “It was nothin’, Baby. Really.” 

She narrowed her eyes. “If it was _nothing_ , you wouldn’t have started saying it in the first place.”

The redhead raised her brows in warning. “C’mon, Love. I need ta transfer dat over.” 

“Tell me first,” she said with an innocent grin, taking a few steps towards her and hooking her pointer finger on her belt. “Please?”

The redhead stared down at her with a look Waverly couldn’t quite decipher, but she immediately realized what it was when her hand shot up to wrap around her throat. Nicole turned her and pressed her back against the counter where she had been, leaning forward into her and staring down into her wide eyes. The redhead licked her lips as she flicked her eyes down to her’s, unsuccessfully concealing a smirk. “ _Watch_ yerself, Waverly Earp.” 

The brunette’s breathing continued when Nicole let her go, moving past her and scooping the macaroni into the pan like nothing had happened. Her voice had come out like pure _gravel_ , so she knew it obviously _wasn’t_ nothing.

And two could play at this game.

Nicole turned and set the serving pan in the warmer, almost leaping out of her skin when she turned around and was face to face with the brunette, who had jumped up on the metal island to sit behind her. Waverly reached out and grabbed her by the suspenders, pulling her towards her. “I’d rather watch you . . . do a lot of things, particularly to me.” 

“Is dat so?” Nicole questioned, sliding her hands up her thighs to her hips and pulling her forward.

“It is,” she smirked, running her nails down her forearms. 

Nicole let go of her bottom lip that she had tugged into her mouth with a hum. “Well. I tink we can make some . . . _arrangements_ fer dat. One being, uh.” She reached up and pulled her glasses off. “T’e lack o’ need fer _dese_.” 

“I mean, I _do_ like to see,” Waverly chuckled, dropping her hands to her sides. “Especially _you._ "

“Whatdya need to see?” Nicole questioned with a smirk. “‘Sides, yer not _dat_ bad off, are ya?” She slipped them on her own face, blinking hard a few times as she looked around. “ _Jaysus_ , yer blind.” 

“Pretty much, yea,” she laughed, reaching up and grabbing her cheeks to turn her head back towards her. “From what I _can_ see, though, _you_ look adorable.” 

Nicole pulled them off her face and set them down next to her. “Yer also adorable, with ‘n without ‘em on.” She reached up and tugged on her cheeks. “Nice ta see _all_ yer gorgeous mug every once ‘n a while, t’ough.” 

Waverly grabbed her hands and cupped her’s over them to lay them flat against her cheeks, blushing a little. “Quit.” 

“Aye, don’t ya start dat shite now.” 

She pursed her lips, but they slowly curved into a grin as she slid her hands to her wrists. “Can I start some other _shite_ then?” 

Nicole blushed and rolled her eyes. “Like what?”

“Let’s find out.” She pulled her into a kiss, hooking her legs around her hips and leaning back slightly, forcing Nicole to lean forward some as she did so. Nicole kept one hand on her cheek, sliding the other around to the back of her neck as Waverly’s hands tightened into the front of her shirt. The brunette arched into her, tightening her legs to try and pull her closer. The redhead pulled back for a quick breath before leaning back in with more force, sliding both hands to the sides of her neck. “Chrissy’s gonna yell at us for _contaminating_ the food,” Waverly mumbled.

“Well, yer makin’ _arseways_ o’ me, Darlin’. Somethin’s gotta be done ‘bout it.” 

“Can that _something_ be maybe _not_ in here so we aren’t shot on the spot?” 

Nicole let out a dramatic sigh, dropping her hands to her ass and pulling her off the island. “ _Fine_.” Waverly giggled as the redhead carried her over towards the door to the alley between the bakery and the next building over, using her to push it open. 

“Uh.”

Nicole pressed her against the brick wall. “Where t’e _feck_ else didja expect us ta go?” 

“But-” 

“It’s 9 AM on a _Saturday_ durin’ a _break_. The people who stuck around definitely ain't up ‘n about yet.” 

Waverly thought about it for a second before shrugging and pulling her back into a kiss. “Fair enough.” 

Nicole hummed, pressing her hips forward into her and Waverly tugged at her hair after a minute. “Don’t tink I ain’t afraid to fuck ya up against dis wall ‘ere,” she growled into her lips.

“ _Whoopsie_ ,” Waverly smirked, doing it again with more force. The redhead groaned, leaning further into her and forcing her tongue into her mouth as she rocked into her. Waverly let out a shaky breath, fisting the collar of her shirt in her hands.

Nicole continued pressing her hips up into her over the next few minutes as their hands wandered some more and their breaths sped up. The brunette tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth and Nicole let out a low rumble from her throat and she slipped her hand in between them and pulled her shirt out from being tucked into her jeans, splaying her hand out against her warm stomach for a second. Waverly’s hands went back into her hair, so she continued upward, cupping her hand over her breast with a squeeze and smirking at the noise she let out. Her thumb brushed over something _not_ fabric material when she went to move it and she realized that the clasp was in the _front_ of this certain bra, which was seemingly perfect for their situation. 

Nicole pulled from her lips, meeting her eyes as she gave the clasp a tug, raising her brows in question. Waverly gave her a nod before pulling her back into the kiss. The redhead smirked as she bucked into her roughly as she undid it, feeling Waverly’s arm tighten around her neck. She moved her hand back over, nudging the cup of her bra out of the way and moaning with her when she squeezed at the now-bare skin. 

Waverly leaned her head back against the wall, tipping her head back down when the redhead nipped at her chin, grabbing her face and meeting her lips again. “ _Needy_.”

Nicole pinched her fingers roughly around her nipple, getting a wince. “ _Me_? T’e needy one?” 

“Mhm,” she mumbled, giving her hair another tug just to spur her on.

“Yer pushin’ it.” 

Waverly grinned, “That’s my goal, Bub.” 

Nicole let out a shaky breath as she pulled back to meet her eyes with a warning glare for all but a second before leaning back in to kiss her. She rolled her thumb over her nipple as she swiped at her tongue, _going_ to move her hand over to the other breast, but the door swinging open beside her nearly made her drop Waverly on her ass.

“Ah, fer _feck’s_ sake! _Really_ , Nic? _Again_?”

“Shit,” Waverly breathed out as they both looked towards Robin with wide eyes. 

Nicole pulled her hand from her shirt and gently dropped her to the ground, clearing her throat and pushing her hand through her severely tousled hair. “Ya really got some bad timin’, Mate.” 

“Or ya have a habit of _shiftin’_ in spaces dat ain’t super private.”

Waverly’s face went even redder than it already was and she turned from him to fix her bra with a groan. Nicole looked towards her, biting the inside of her lip to keep a smirk down. She looked back to Robin, crossing her arms. “ _Or_ ya could’ve knocked.” 

He blinked at her for a moment. “ _Knocked_? On t’e door ta t’e alley?” 

She raised her brows. “Uh, _ya_. Where else didja expect us ta be?” 

“T’e _jacks_ , t'e _cooler_ , somewhere other dan t’e bloody alley, ya _nasties_.” He shook his head, taking a drag from the joint he had already been holding and then offering it out to Nicole. 

She rolled her eyes, nudging him a little as she took it and leaned back against the wall while she took a pull from it. “Well, dat wouldn’t’ve been as _fun_ , right, Waves?” She looked towards her, cocking a brow at the way she was staring at her with wide eyes and an opened mouth after she walked closer to them. “What?”

Her jaw open and closed as she flicked her eyes from the joint to her face, her brow slowly furrowing. “Wh- Y-” She grabbed her hand and brought it closer to her face. “Is that a _weed_?” 

Nicole huffed out a laugh, “No, it’s a crayon- What do ya _tink_ it is?” 

Waverly looked between Robin and her for a moment before settling on Nicole. “You smoke _weed_?!” 

“I do,” she said with a slow nod, handing it over to Robin. “Dat a problem?” 

Waverly swallowed, “I- I don’t know. I’ve never encountered this kind of situation before.” She looked towards Robin, letting out a gasp. “Wait- Jeremy _wasn’t_ kidding!” 

“Huh?” Robin questioned quickly around the joint between his lips. 

“He said that you were stoned earlier this week, but said he was kidding!” She let out a huff. “Little _liar_. I _really_ thought you were just _that_ happy at 8 AM.” Nicole looked towards him with slightly narrowed eyes, but decided not to question why Jeremy knew he was a stoner.

Robin ignored Nicole’s confused look, keeping his on Waverly and raising his brows. “He said dat, did he?”

“Yea. After you bought flashcards from him in calc that one day,” Waverly answered.

Robin held back a cough, trying not to choke on the smoke in his lungs, quickly blowing it out and handing the joint over. “Yep. Flashcards.” 

Nicole kept her eyes on him as she took a slow drag. “Since when do ya need Flashcards, Mate?” 

“Ah ya know . . .” He trailed off, scratching the back of his head. “Maths really be gettin’ ta me dis year. And with midterms comin’ up and all-” He glared at the way she was still looking at him. “Don’t ya need ta go check on yer food? Don't wanna go burnin’ down me work site, now do we?” It was obvious that he was desperately trying to swerve the conversation, but it seemed it wasn’t working in his favor.

“My tofurky!” Waverly gasped, jumping to press a quick kiss to Nicole’s lips before turning and swinging for the door, slamming half of her body into the brick wall with a groan. 

“ _Fuck_ , Love.” Nicole caught her arm, looking at her with worried eyes. “Are ya alrigh’?”

Waverly gave her a quick nod as her face stormed with an embarrassed blush. “Yea. Good. I just can’t see,” she mumbled. She sucked in a breath, though. “ _Tofurky_ , right!” 

And with that, she was through the door, leaving Nicole and Robin to their joint.

He let out a sigh, sinking further back against the wall. “. . . Chrissy wants ta shag me.”

Nicole coughed out the smoke with a bark of a laugh. “ _What_?” 

“She keeps touchin’ me ‘n shite. Makin’ me feel all _weird_.” 

The redhead raised her brows high in question. “Ya ain’t goin’ straight on me, are ya?”

“Definitely _not that kinda weird_. Makin’ me feel weird in a very _bad,_ uneasy sorta way,” he clarified. 

“Oh,” she mumbled. “Tank _Jaysus_.” 

“Feck off,” he grumbled, snatching the joint from her mouth. 

She threw him a look of offense. “Well, have ya t’ought ‘bout _tellin’_ her dat ya’d rather _suck a willy_ den-”

“Aye!” He smacked her arm. “Are ya _thick_ ?! I _ain’t_ doin’ _dat_. With t’e mouth on dat one, t’e whole campus’d know by t’e end of t’e night.” 

“She’s fine with me ‘n Waves,” Nicole shrugged. 

“Dat’s _different_ , Kid.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Alrigh’, den jus’ tell her yer not interested. It ain’t dat hard.” 

Robin looked down at his feet and messed with a rock with the toe of his combat boot. “. . . Will ya talk ta ‘er fer me?”

Nicole threw him a look. “Yer a _big boy_ now, Robbie.” 

“And she’s bloody _crazy_! What if she tries ta smother me in me sleep or somethin’?”

“ _Robin_ ,” Nicole huffed. “Quit bein’ a damned _ninny_ ‘n tell t’e poor ting ya ain’t like her in dat way. She ain’t dat bad, trust me.” 

“She scares me, Nic . . . I’m just gonna have ta deal with it til she gets da point.”

Nicole grabbed the joint from him and took a long drag. “If I’ve learned _anythin’_ ‘bout Chrissy, it’s dat t’e girl can’t take a hint ta save ‘er arse.”

Robin groaned, throwing the butt of the joint on the ground after taking it back to finish it up and stomping it with his shoe. “Fine . . . I’ll tell ‘er eventually. Jus’ maybe not today.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “ _Wuss_.”

“Go get yer spuds out me oven!”

The redhead let out a sigh as she pushed off the wall. “I will, ya.” 

**11:16 AM**

“There’s no _way_ we’re gonna be able to finish all of this,” Rosita said, finally sitting down in her spot at the table.

Nicole pat Robin’s back when she sat down next to him. “I feel like yer underestimatin’ how much food Robbie can fit in his gut.” 

“She ain’t wrong,” Robin agreed with a smirk.

“Robin’s _so_ big and strong, he’s gotta keep his strength up. Right, _Mr. Muscles_?” Chrissy looked towards him with a wiggle of her brows after she sat in front of him. He gave her an awkward smile and Nicole covered her mouth to keep from erupting in a fit of laughter.

“Oh my god, Chrissy, you’re so right,” Jeremy agreed, bumping her arm when he sat between her and Rosita. “He’s so strong.” 

“Chrissy,” Rosita mock-whispered. “I bet that he could pick you up if you asked him to.” 

But before Chrissy could even get the question out of her mouth, Waverly walked through the kitchen door with a pan, heading over to the table. “Alright. Tofurky’s done.” She set it down in the middle and sat on the other side of Nicole.

“Can we eat now?” Robin asked. “I’m _starvin’._ ”

“ _No_ , Silly!” Chrissy huffed with a smile, reaching out to rub the hand he had set on the table, but he pulled it back before she could even lay a finger on him. “We all have to say what we’re thankful for first.” 

“Do we have to?” Rosita grumbled. 

“ _Yes_!” Chrissy, Jeremy, and Waverly huffed at the same time. 

“ _Fine_ ,” she sighed.

“Why would we do dat fer?” Robin asked, genuinely confused. “I t’ought Tanksgivin’ was just ‘bout t’e food.”

Waverly smiled at him. “Thanksgiving is about reflecting on _all_ the good things you’ve got in life and being thankful for the things that not everyone has.” 

“Oh . . . I guess I never really t’ought ‘bout it like dat. Den again, I never really t’ought ‘bout T’anksgivin’ until dis week.” 

“Ok, on that note, I think it’s only fair that Robin goes first,” Chrissy grinned, bumping his foot with her’s.

He grimaced. “Oh yea, make t’e guy who has no idea what’s goin’ on go first,” he grumbled. “Alrigh’ let’s see. What am I t’ankful fer? . . . Nic, what am I t’ankful fer?”

“Me?”

“Dat’s a good start,” he chuckled. “I’m t’ankful fer Nic takin’ me in like one her brothers when tings got t’ough fer me, ‘n den joining the exchange program ta be with me when I won me scholarship ta come out here. Speakin’ o’ dat, I’m also t’ankful fer me music ‘cause without it, I wouldn’t have even gotten t’e scholarship in t’e first place and I wouldn’t be ‘ere, workin’ a job I love with a bitch of a barista and get ta be surrounded by great people dat I’m _also_ very tankful fer.”

“What ‘bout t’e secret relationship ya won’t tell me, ‘bout? T’ankful fer dat too?” Nicole asked, eyes widening at the death glare she was shot. “I’m kiddin’, Mate!”

He shook his head, thinking for another moment. “I’m also always t’ankful fer me pops, even t’ough he’s a wee bit nuts at times.” Nicole laughed at that. “‘N, I guess dat, even t’ough dey’re not ‘round no more, I’m t’ankful fer me mum and me brother Reggie. Me mum fer raisin’ me ta be kind and me brother fer inspirin’ me in every way and even convincin’ me to join t’e military when I graduated, cause despite dat not endin’ so well, I learned more ‘bout myself dere den I did in all me years at school.”

“You were in the _military_?” Chrissy gasped with a huge grin, but Robin ignored her and looked towards Nic, who was already looking at him with a big smile on her face.

“I’m proud o’ ya, Robbie, even if I don’t always tell ya, ya should know dat I really am.”

“I know it,” he chuckled. “Now it’s yer turn, I s’pose. 

“Alrigh’, lemme give dis a shot,” Nicole said as she scooted her chair in a little. “Uh, well, I’m t’ankful fer bein’ able to pick dis school fer t’e foriegn exchange program cause it’s grand ‘ere, ‘n now I’ve met all of ya’s. But I’m also t’ankful fer me ma ‘n all me siblin’s back home. _Chicken, Nate, Niall, Nolan, Blue, Jelly, ‘n Naomi_. I miss ‘em like shite.” 

“Oh my God, your poor mother,” Rosita mumbled. 

“ _That’s_ what I said!” Waverly laughed. 

Nicole looked towards the brunette with a chuckle, giving her a thigh a squeeze under the table. “I’m t’ankful I met dis cutie right ‘ere. I tink Robin’ll agree dat I’m a better person when I’m around ya.” 

Waverly pouted her lip. “Awe.” She interlocked their fingers on her lap, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. 

“Hold on, _what_?!” Rosita gawked. “When did _that_ happen?!” Her eyes snapped towards Waverly. “Since when are you _not_ straight?!” 

“Pretty much since I met Nic and realized it,” she said slowly.

“Oh,” she mumbled, but smiled at the two. “Y’all are cute, I love it. Sorry, continue, Haught” 

The redhead nodded, smirking as she looked towards Robin. “I’m t’ankful fer dis cutie ‘ere, too.” She pinched his cheek. “He’s a feckin’ gobshite most of t’e time, but I love ‘em anyhow.” He gave her a smile and grabbed her face to press a wet kiss to her cheek that she groaned at, “ _Aye_.” She pushed him away. “Oh, also yer old man. A _legend_ , dat one.” 

“Damn right, he is,” Robin agreed with a grin.

Nicole smirked at him, reaching up and rubbing her shoulder and looking back to the rest as she thought about it for a few seconds. “Der’s, uh, a few more tings I’m t’ankful fer, but I won’t get into it all.” She glanced towards the brunette. “Yer turn, Darlin.” 

Waverly let out a breath. “Let’s see . . .” She looked towards the redhead. “Well, I _guess_ I’m thankful for you.” Nicole’s brow dipped sadly and she gasped, squeezing her hand with a shake of her head. “I’m _kidding_ , Bub. Of _course_ I’m thankful for you.” 

“Yea?” She asked softly.

Waverly gave her a smile, cupping her face and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Of course I am. Meeting you was like . . . one of the best outcomes of me coming to this university instead of any of the other ones I got accepted into.” 

“Really?”

“ _Yes_ , Baby,” the brunette assured, wrapping her arms around her’s and leaning her head on her shoulder. “Alright, uhm . . . Well I’m thankful that I _am_ here in Calgary with all of you, and I’m also thankful that I’ll be home with my _insane_ family tomorrow cause, even though they’re . . . _dysfunctional_ , to say the least, I still gotta love them all. Also, I’ve gotta be thankful for Chrissy.” The blonde pouted her lip. “She’s been my rock since day one. And Jer’s made me feel like less of a dweeb by also being younger than the rest of our grade. Here’s to being smart and skipping a grade!” Jeremy gave her a smile with a laugh and mock-raised a glass. “And . . . I’m thankful for all my teachers, _especially_ Dr. Holliday, cause him and the rest have taught me so much over the past two years.”

“ _Nerd_ ,” Rosita teased, and Waverly shot her a look.

“Uh . . . Yea. I’m just really happy with where my life is right now, and it’s thanks to all of you.” They all mumbled something, either a thank you to her or an agreement with the last part of what she said. She smiled at all of them, looking up at the redhead and blushing when she pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Ok. Rosita’s turn!”

“Alrigh’, Rosie Roo, I better be on yer list,” Robin warned.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m thankful for food and friends, really. I can’t live without either of them.” Rosita paused for a moment in thought before starting again, “But honestly, I’m thankful for this wonderful job and for my cooks who keep the whole show running, that means you Robin-”

“Hell yeah, it does!” 

“And also for the customers who became friends over time,” she said, smiling at Jeremy. “You really make having to be here at 5 AM everyday not as shitty. I’m _also_ thankful for the large amounts of dishes all of you are going to have to do after this because I sure as hell am not doing them.”

Everyone groaned at that.

“Shorty’s turn, aye?” Robin said with a soft smile.

“Uh . . . Alright,” he mumbled nervously. “I’m thankful for Waverly for being the first friend I made when I got here and for sticking with me despite how difficult I can be.” 

“Awe, Jer,” she said, squeezing his hand across the table. “You’re an absolute delight, quit.”

“And for Rosie for being one of the funniest and sweetest people I’ve ever met and making sure that I’m always more caffeinated than any human should be.”

“ _That’s_ what I’m here for.”

“And for you, Chrissy, for making life a hell of a lot more fun,” he chuckled, rubbing Chrissy’s shoulder and smiling at her. “I’m also ever so thankful for Fish and Levi and all the people who make life worth living on a daily basis. And before I start crying, I think it’s Chrissy’s turn.”

“My turn,” the blonde breathed out. “Ok. I’m thankful for . . . Shoes, clothes, shopping, my dad’s credit card, and- well, I guess my friends kinda, too-”

“You do _not_ have Nedley’s credit card,” Waverly grumbled. 

“I’m _kidding_!” Chrissy said with a huffed laugh. “Jeez, tough crowd. Alright . . . I’m _really_ thankful for all of you and being able to be here for this. Also my family that I’ll see tomorrow cause they’re, like, the only ones that have always believed in me, aside from Waves, _of course_. I’m also thankful that I got into this school cause now I’m _finally_ back with my best friend.” She gave Waverly a smile. “Cause high school without her last year was literally a living hell. And I’m . . . thankful I’m _not_ pregnant-”

“ _Chrissy_ ,” Waverly huffed.

She put her hands up. “Kidding!” A couple of them laughed a little while the rest shook their head at her. “Uh . . . Oh! And I’m thankful for my dad- mostly just the fact that I didn’t have him as one of my teachers-”

“Aye! Nedley’s grand!” Nicole argued. 

“Mm, 18 years with him, _not so much_.” 

Nicole raised her brows with a grin. “ _I_ beg ta differ-” 

“Can we _eat_?” Robin whined. “I’m _hungry_!” 

“ _Yes_ , we can eat,” Jeremy sighed with a smile. “Happy Friendsgiving everyone!” 

**1:56 PM**

“I can’t move,” Nicole mumbled, slumped back in her chair with her hands hanging limply at her sides. 

“I need a nap.” Jeremy dropped his head forward onto the table. “That last piece of pie is sendin’ me into a food coma.” 

Chrissy and Rosita just let out a synchronized whine as they let their heads fall back. Waverly pulled her knees up to her chest, dropping her head forward. “I just gained nine pounds.” 

“I ain’t sure why yer all complainin’,” Robin said, patting his stomach and reaching for another slice of pie. “I feel _grand_.”

“Then _you_ can go start on the dishes,” Rosita grumbled. 

“Ya act like I don’t do t’e dishes everyday anyways,” he huffed, starting to collect various plates and silverware. “Anyone gonna help out?”

“I’ll-” Chrissy started, but Jeremy was already on his feet.

“I got it. I didn’t cook much so this is the least I can do.”

Robin grinned and the two of them disappeared into the kitchen together. Nicole followed them with narrowed eyes as they left. Waverly lifted her head and rested her chin on her arms that were crossed over her knees, turning her head to look at the redhead. She cocked a brow, reaching out and rubbing her hand on Nicole’s thigh. “Hey . . . What’re you thinking about?” 

Nicole looked towards her and stared at her for a good 10 seconds before she let out a loud gasp and shot out of her chair, heading straight for the kitchen. She shoved the door open and let her eyes fall to Jeremy and Robin, already noticing how _close_ they were standing next to one another at the sink. “ _Aye_!” 

They both whipped around and Jeremy yelped in surprise, taking a large step to the left away from Robin. “ _What_ , ya gobshite?!” Robin asked, putting his soapy hand over his heart as it started to slow down after the scare. "Ya scared the _shite_ out of us!"

Nicole took a few steps closer to them. “ _Look_ at each other,” she ordered. 

“What?” They both questioned. 

" _Do it!”_

The two compiled, looking at each other in confusion but quickly melting into some sort of admiration and comfort.

“I fecking _knew it!_ Yer givin’ each other t’e _googly_ eyes!” 

Jeremy’s face contorted in fear and he looked to Robin, trying to figure out what he was going to do about the situation. “We ain’t doin’ nothin’,” Robin huffed, crossing his arms. “Yer goin’ mad, Kid.”

“ _Bull_!” She stepped closer, flapping her hands at them. “Get closer together.”

“Huh?” Jeremy questioned. 

“Ya heard me!” The two shot each other another confused look but complied, slowly moving closer together. “Now _hug._ ” 

“Bloody ‘ell, Nic! What’s gotten into ya?” 

“Do it!” She barked again. “Do it like ya mean it.”

Robin rolled his eyes. “Jus’ go along with it, Shorty,” he sighed, pulling Jeremy into a hug and feeling the tension in his shoulder release. 

“ _Shorty_ , aye?” Nicole asked, crossing her arms. “Ya know, I ain’t _never_ seen nobody who just met huggin’ like dat.” 

“Yer seein’ shite,” Robin growled as the anger started to rise in his chest and he pulled away from Jeremy. “Yer bein’ a fuckin’ _nutter_ , Nic. Ya realize dat, don’t ya?”

She raised her brows. “So _Jeremy,_ ‘ere, ain’t t’e one who left them lovebites on yer neck? And don’t ya _dare_ try ‘n lie ta me, Robin Jett. I know _all_ yer tells.”

Robin sighed, looking towards him and letting his face soften. “Shorty, she already knows. No way of hidin’ it now.” 

Jeremy chewed his lip and leaned back against the sink, looking towards the redhead. “How’d you figure it out?”

“Well fer one, he got all nervous when Waves brought ya up earlier and two, he called ya Shorty at t’e table _quite_ a good many times and as far as anyone ‘ere knew, ya only met each other a few times so _why_ wouldja have a nickname fer him already? Not ta _mention_ t’e looks ya give each other and the lovebites on _yer_ neck I’m jus’ now seein’. Didn’t even _bother_ tryin’ ta hide dose, did ya, Jeremy?”

Robin took a step closer to her, tipping his head in warning. “Leave him _be_ , Nicole.”

Nicole put her hands up. “Aye, Mate. Cool it.” 

“T’e _feck_ ya mean _cool it_ -” Jeremy grabbed his arm, trying to get him to calm down just as much as Nicole was.

“I ain’t mad at ya!” She huffed with a chuckle. “I jus’ don’t know why ya didn’t tell me.” She flicked her eyes to Jeremy before landing back on Robin’s face as her voice got softer. “We always tell each other everythin’.”

“I told ya why, Nic,” he said, his voice softening as well.

She shook her head. “I know ya did, but . . . We don’t do secrets- We’ve _never_ done secrets. Why ya startin’ now?” 

“Cause I didn’t wanna get yer hopes up . . .” He let out a heavy sigh, glancing at Jeremy. “I know how ya wanna see me happy ‘n all, but if tings didn’t work out fer some reason, ya wouldn’t know why I was sad ‘n ya couldn’t blame it on Jer. Don’t say ya wouldn’t ‘cause I know how ya are, Kid. I was jus’ tryin’ protect Jeremy from yer Irish wrath.”

Nicole pursed her lips and pulled Robin into a hug. “Alrigh’ . . . But no more of dat hidin’ shite, ya hear? I ain’t gonna hurt ‘em unless ya ask me ta. Den I’d be more dan willin’ ta.”

He relaxed into her, giving her a squeeze. “No more hidin’. And I also ain’t gonna want ya ta hurt Jeremy no matta what, so don’t ya start plannin’ on dat bein’ an outcome.”

The redhead pulled back and cupped her hands on his cheeks with a squeeze. “I’m happy fer ya, Robbie. Truly.” He smiled against her hands, and she pat his face with a grin, moving past him to see Jeremy and pushing her hands into her pockets. 

He gave her a nervous smile, shifting on his feet. “Do I get a death warning to my face now?”

“Ya get a hug,” she chuckled, taking a step towards him. He stood up straight and let her wrap him in a strangely gentle hug.

“Oh- Alright . . . Guess this is happening now,” he mumbled, making Robin chuckle.

Nicole gripped him a little tighter, lowering her voice. “But ya _also_ get a death warnin’.” 

“ _Oh goody_.”

“So if ya hurt him, _trust me_ when I tell ya dat I know t’e most _painful_ way ta kill a human bein’.” She pulled back, looking into his horrified eyes with a dimpled smile and clapping his shoulder. “I’ll also _personally_ rip yer goods off if ya shag on me bed.” 

Jeremy quickly nodded, wincing a little at the way she was gripping his shoulder. “Never planned on it.” 

“Great!” She let him go, turning to look at Robin and catching the glare that he’d been staring into the back of her head. “What?”

He shook his head, moving towards a drawer near the back of the kitchen and pulling out an old metal first aid kit. “Yer stressin’ me out.”

“It’s what I’m here fer,” she told him with a cheeky grin. “Ya know, I’ve been wonderin’ where t’e other first aid kit went to.”

“I keep it ‘ere fer when Rosita yells at me fer bein’ annoying ‘n I don’t gotta joint with me.” 

“Bub?” Waverly called, coming into the kitchen. “Wh- Oh, again?”

“Aye, I ain’t smokin’,” she defended as the brunette walked over to them. “Well, not yet.” She pulled the joint that Robin had just lit out of his hand before he could even take a drag and took one herself, giving him a smirk. 

“ _Arse_ ,” he grumbled under his breath. 

“Who supplies ya with dese?” She questioned with a lift of her brow. Robin pursed his lips, leaning back against the sink, knowing full well that it was her. “Mhm, t’ought so.” She handed it back to him and hopped up onto the island in front of them, pulling Waverly to lean back in between her legs and leaning down near her ear. “If ya don’t want me doin’ dat ‘round ya, all ya gotta do is say t’e word.”

She shook her head, making Nicole wrap her arms around her. “I don’t care really.”

Nicole let her chin rest on her shoulder. “Ya promise?”

“Yea, I promise,” she assured, rubbing her thumb over her hand. “I mean, as long as you don’t get in trouble or anything cause of it.” 

“I won’t . . . Usually, I only use it when me knee’s bein’ a gobshite or whatnot, but Robbie’s a wee bit of a stoner, if ya couldn’t tell, ‘n he’s a bad influence on me sometimes.”

Waverly let out a hum, turning around and looking up at her when she sat up. “ _Well_.” She leaned forward against the table, resting her hands on Nicole’s hips. “What if I wanted _you_ to be a bad influence on _me_?” 

Nicole’s eyes widened quickly. “Ya wanna try it?”

“Yea,” Waverly said with a shrug. “Why not?” 

“No,” the redhead said softly. “I don't want ya ta.” 

“Why?” Waverly asked with furrowed brows. 

“Cause . . .” Nicole moved her hands up to the brunette’s cheeks, rubbing her thumbs across them. “Yer jus’ so . . . _pure_. I don’t want ya ta feel pressured ‘n ruin dat cause it’s one o’ t’e tings I love about ya.” The brunette’s eyes widened slightly just as her own did right after she said it. The redhead swallowed with a clear of her throat, “Ya know what I meant.” 

Waverly let out a sigh, deciding to just _ignore_ it. “I don’t feel _pressured_ or anything. I just . . . I dunno. I’ve always been the goodie two-shoes. I didn’t drink until I was 18, I’ve never smoked or done anything like that. I always followed all the rules when I was younger. I just wanna . . . start living life on the edge a little more- Or maybe just start _living_ in general. And I guess that includes maybe trying some weed.” She shrugged with a smile. “C’mon, what’s the worst that could happen?” 

“Uh, a lotta tings, Wave.”

She tipped her head. “Anything that you wouldn’t be able to handle if you’re right here with me?” 

Nicole clenched her jaw, letting out a sigh. “I guess not.” 

Waverly grinned. “See! It’s fine. I’ll be fine.” 

The redhead reached out for the joint and Robin handed it to her. “Fine. But ya might not get high yer first time. I’m tellin’ ya dat right now.”

“Then I’ll try it again,” she shrugged, then bouncing a few times with a giggle. “I’m feeling ballzy today. Like I could go skydiving or something.” 

Nicole chuckled as the smoke left her lungs towards the ceiling and leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. “Yer adorable.” Waverly blushed with a soft smile. “Alrigh’, ‘ere.” She handed the joint to her and was going to speak, but Jeremy cut her off.

“Woah, hey!” He grabbed Waverly’s arm. “You’re actually gonna do that?” 

“Yeah, why?” She questioned with a tip of her head.

“Ok, yea, I got that. But why?” 

“Cause I want to?”

His brow furrowed. “Are you sure?” 

She nodded with a smile. “I’m sure, Jer. It’s alright.” 

“Ok . . . But I’m not carrying you home if you get couch locked.” His eyes lifted to Nicole and she gave him an assuring nod, so he relaxed, leaning back against the edge of the sink next to Robin. 

Nicole hopped off the island and turned the brunette, lifting her to sit on it. “Dere we are.” She dropped her hands to her thighs. “Jus’ take one hit. _Inhale_ it- not too slow or quick so ya don’t choke yerself. And yer probably gonna cough it out, but dat’s alright.”

Waverly let out a breath, looking down at it in her hand. “Ok . . .” She kicked her legs. “I’m scared now.” 

Nicole squeezed the tops of her thighs. “Aye, ya don’t gotta-” 

“Shut up, I wanna.” 

Nicole let out a little laugh. “ _Ok_. Ya wanna. Don’t be scared den, ain’t nothin’ ta be afraid of.” 

Waverly let out another breath. “I’m joinin’ the dark side.” The redhead chuckled, and they all watched as she brought the joint to her lips and inhaled just as Nicole had said, not too fast and not too slow. She pulled it away from her mouth and turned her head as she let out a couple of smokey coughs, “ _Jesus. Fucking. Christ._ ”

“ _Atta_ _girl_!” Robin grinned.

“Ya alrigh’?” Nicole asked, sliding her hand down her arm. 

Waverly shooed the smoke away as she looked back towards her with another cough. “I think?” 

“Ya _tink_?” She asked with a chuckle. “Are ya done or nah?” 

Waverly furrowed her brows and answered by taking another hit- a longer one this time, but she still coughed it all out with a laugh, “ _Fuck_.” 

Nicole pulled the joint from her fingers and handed it back to Robin. “Dat’s good fer now.” She moved over and grabbed the cup that was sitting on the drying rack and filled it with some water, walking back over and handing it to her. “Congrats, Love. Ya’ve smoked pot.” 

She took a few sips of the water, setting it down next to her with a smirk. “Ima pothead now.” 

“No yer not,” Nicole huffed with a smile, leaning forward on the brunette’s thighs. “How d’ya feel?” 

“Fine,” she shrugged, stifling a few more coughs as she took another drink. 

“Any different than ya did before?”

“No . . .” She squinted in thought as she drooped her arms around Nicole’s neck. “Maybe. A little floaty. That might just be my brain being dumb, though.” 

“Yer hearts not speed demonin’ or anythin’, right?” She reached up and pressed her fingers against the side of her neck to feel her pulse. 

“Nope.” Waverly ran her fingers through her hair with a smile. “Bub, I’m alright. I promise. I’ll tell you if I’m not.” 

Nicole dropped her hand with a sigh, “Alrigh’.” 

Robin tapped the redhead’s arm and handed the joint back, smirking as he blew a couple of rings at Jeremy, who swatted them away with a whined laugh, “ _Quit_.” 

Nicole laughed at the two with a shake of her head, “Ya ever gotten high, Jeremy?”

“Ya ever wanna get high?” Robin rephrased, his eyebrow raised.

Jeremy shook his head. “Someone’s gotta watch you guys and make sure that no one . . . dies or something, I don’t know.”

“Rosie and Chrissy are here,” Waverly reminded him, doing grabby hands at Nicole after she took a drag or two. 

She raised a brow at her. “Let it kick in first, Love.”

Waverly nodded with wide eyes. “Oh, it’s kickin’, trust me.” 

“Give it like 30 minutes ‘n den it’ll really be kickin’,” Robin assured her, taking the joint back from Nicole and putting the flame from his lighter to the end again for a second or two, shaking the flame out and clicking the lighter closed. 

The brunette pouted her lip at Nicole. “I’m fine.”

She shook her head. “Ya don’t know dat y-”

“ _Bub_ ,” she whined. “I’m an _Earp_. I know that means _nothing_ to you, but trust me when I tell you that we’re known for being able to handle our assortment of drugs and alcohol.”

“I once watched her out drink Xavier,” Jeremy noted from behind Nicole. “Actually, twice.”

She looked towards him for a second before looking back up at Waverly, eyes widened almost in fear. “ _Really_? Lil’ ol’ you?”

“Like I said . . .” Waverly snatched the joint from Robin when he went to hand it to Nicole. “I’m an Earp.” Nicole let out a sigh and she smiled as she took a drag, wiggling her eyebrows at her in the process. The redhead shook her head at her, eyes falling to her lips and the brunette tipped her head up and blew the smoke out. Waverly looked down at her, smirking a little when she noticed when her eyes had been. She leaned forward and pushed her hand into her hair, pulling it to get her to tip her head back. 

“ _Uh oh_ , Waves knows ya weakness,” Robin teased from behind her. 

Nicole’s throat let out an involuntary rumble, and Waverly raised her brows as she put the joint to her lips, holding it there for her as she took a pull. “Whatcha lookin’ at, Bub?” 

“Yer lips . . .” She trailed off, slowly letting it out through her nose and letting the smoke circle around them as Waverly’s legs locked behind her back and forced their fronts almost flush together. The brunette pulled the joint back, giving her hair another tug just for the hell of it. Nicole sucked in a breath, nails digging into her hips as she closed her eyes for a second. “Yer not allowed ta do dis ta me, Darlin’,” she muttered under her breath.

“Why’s that?” Waverly questioned, running her nails across her scalp.

Nicole opened her eyes with a whine, “ _Baby_.” 

“What’s the problem, Nic?” She asked with an innocent shrug, bringing the joint to her lips and catching the way she was chewing on her lip.

“ _JETT!_ ” All of their heads turned towards the door as it shot open with an angry Rosita and an amused Chrissy in tow. _“Why_ do I smell pot?!” 

Waverly slowly let the smoke in her lungs out, grabbing the redhead’s hand and pushing the joint into it when she caught Chrissy’s bulged eyes. She put her hands up slightly with a sorry smile, “Wasn’t me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy  
> They got caught doing the weed, uh oh  
> What do y'all think is gonna happen?
> 
> CHRISSY COUNT: 14
> 
> What is that ^ ya ask? Well. AJ and I are crackheads and find it hilarious how many times Waverly (or anyone really, but mostly Waves) says Chrissy warningly/annoyedly, so we decided that we are gonna start keeping track of it! You are very welcome.


	12. Can I Call Ya Daddy, Too?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's stoned and Jeremy is babysitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're aware that the world is currently in shambled and that a lot is happening and Queef will talk more about that in her notes. I just hope that this chapter at least gives you a bit of a mental break, because I know how much stress and anxiety this is causing everyone. Please stay safe everyone xx  
> -  
> If you don't like the jetri chapters, you'll like this one because it's heavy w high Wayhaught

**Saturday, October 9th, 1993 2:32 PM**

“Wasn’t me." 

“I tink ya might have let her have too much,” Robin whispered to Nicole, snatching the joint out of her hand and taking a long drag. 

Rosita’s mouth fell open in shock. “ _Waverly_!”

Chrissy then burst into laughter, grabbing onto Rosita’s shoulder to keep from doubling over. “Oh my god. That’s- That’s really funny.”

“How is this funny?” Rosita scolded, shrugging her off. “Waverly, you’re like, the _very last person_ I would have expected- well, no it’s definitely baby Jeremy, but you’re the second to last person I would have expected to… to do _that!_ ”

Jeremy held up his hands in defense. “I didn’t do shit.”

Rosita moved towards him, slinging an arm around his shoulder and gave him a noogie. “That’s why you’re _baby_ Jeremy, kiddo.”

He caught Robin smirk at this, but ignored it, looking back towards Waverly. “Are you okay?”

“I feel _great_!” she said, leaning forward against Nicole, who’d turned to face Rosita. 

Robin stared at his joint for a second and pursed his lips. “ _Nic_ ,” he groaned. “She had almost half o’ it ‘n she’s _obviously_ a lightweight.”

“And I’d _love_ to have more,” Waverly informed, doing some grabby hands at him.

“No!” Rosita huffed, glaring at Robin and Nicole. “You two gave it to her and I expect you to be responsible for what she does.”

Robin raised a brow. “ _I_ tried ta convince Nic ta cut her off after two hits but she let her keep goin’.”’

“‘Cause she’s fine!” Nicole argued, leaning back into Waverly. “She’s an _Earp_!”

“So what?” Rosita asked. 

Chrissy shrugged, still giggling a little at Waverly’s loopy behavior. “Being an Earp means having the tolerance of a 500 pound mountain man.”

“Which means…” Waverly dropped her arms over Nicole’s shoulders. “I’m fine to keep going.”

“Doesn’t matter what yer tolerance is ta anything, the first time ya get high, ya don’t know how it’ll affect ya yet and I tink ya should wait until t’e main high kicks in,” Robin told her. “Like Nic said, I’m t’e resident stoner. I bought t’e weed-”

“Dat _I_ sold ta ya,” Nicole reminded him, obviously starting to feel the effects of having more than just a couple hits like she normally did when her knee was hurting. 

“Ya, ‘n I picked t’e strain ya grow, ‘n I still bought it. I also smoke more on a daily basis dan you do in a month, so when I say I tink ya should cut her off fer at least an hour, I tink ya should listen ta me, Nic.” 

“Why’s Nic the one that grows it if you know so much about it, huh?” Waverly asked between kissing at Nicole’s ear and neck.

“‘Cause if Nic gets caught growin’ den she gets kicked out of the dorms and moves inta an apartment uptown. If I got caught growin’, den I’d get me scholarship taken away ‘n I’d have ta go back ta Ireland.” He looked to Rosita and Jeremy, seeing the worry on their faces and sighed. 

Nicole nodded, pulling away from Waverly just enough to turn back around to face her. “Robbie’s right, Love.” This earned a groaned and a pout from Waverly. “I tink we should just see how ya react ‘fore ya have anymore, alrigh’? It’ll only be an hour.” 

Waverly wrinkled up her nose in distaste but nodded anyways and jumped off the counter, stumbling a little bit and pressing up against Nicole to keep herself steady. “Pie?”

Robin chuckled, taking the last drag of the joint that Waverly and Nicole had most of and dropping the end of the paper into the sink. He collected his first aid kid and pressed a hand to Jeremy’s back, leading him and Rosita, who still had her arm around Jeremy, towards the lobby. “Pie, anyone?”

Chrissy groaned. “I don’t know how any of you are hungry again.” 

Waverly shot her a sad look. “I want pie.” 

“Humor her,” he urged. 

“Yeah, pie!” she drawled.

Nicole walked Waverly into the lobby where Chrissy and Rosita had cleaned up a little and set a piece of blueberry pie on a plate, handing her a fork. Waverly grinned at the slice of pie and sat on the floor just feet away from a chair.

“Alrigh’ den,” Nicole said, groaning as she sat down next to her. Chrissy got another piece of pie and sat down next to them, staring at the plate as if it were her worst enemy. 

“I’ll eat it if you don’t,” Waverly told her, already almost finished with her slice.

“Ya got a wee bit a…” Nicole chuckled, using her thumb to get some blueberry goo off of Waverly’s face. “Slow yerself down or yer gonna choke.”

Rosita finally pulled away from Jeremy and crossed her arms, pulling her eyes from the three girls on the floor and looking at the boys. “I saw the gears turning in Nicole’s head. She figured it out?”

Robin rolled his eyes. “She made us hug ta prove dat she wasn’t imagin’ tings ‘n den scolded me fer not tellin’ her.”

“She also gave me the shovel talk,” Jeremy grumbled, leaning against the counter.

“Awe.” Rosita put her hand to her heart.

“Awe me _arse_.”

Jeremy looked up at Robin and laughed. “What’s the matter?”

“Oh let me tink,” Robin sighed. “Nic let her new mot smoke half o’ me joint dat _I_ was tryna smoke ‘casue Nic was chewin’ me arse ‘bout ya and makin’ ya all nervous, and now Waverly’s gonna be high as shite and try ta get another joint off o’ me, and Nic’s gonna let her.” 

“Irish gal pal giving you some trouble?” Rosita teased.

He shook his first aid kit at her. “Dis shite is what gets me t’ough workin’ with yer tight arse every mornin’ and I’m not gonna let her take all of it. I also don’t give a shite what her family tolerance is like, don’t matter who ya are, yer first high can be really dangerous if yer not careful.” 

They all looked back to the girls. Chrissy was watching the other two, who were now tearing up a styrofoam plate and laughing hysterically. She caught them looking and stood, walking over and crossing her arms.

“Watching people be high is nowhere near as fun as being high,” she announced. 

“Ya been high ‘fore?”

She snorted a laugh. “My last year of high school was mainly spent getting high at parties and hooking up with hockey players.” 

Robin nodded, finding that this actually made a lot of sense. “Huh. Same but with me football team,” he said, earning an elbow in the side from Jeremy. “Oi! I’m kiddin’, Shorty! It was only t’e team captain.”

“Oh you’re- Oh!” Chrissy gasped. “You weren’t kidding, Rosie. We’re the only straight people here.”

“I’m not entirely straight,” Rosita told her. 

“Damn,” Chrissy mumbled. “I’m the only straight person here.”

“Well, lucky for you, Chrissy, I’m a firm believer that no women are entirely straight. I mean, look at us,” Rosita said, holding out her arms and looking down her own body. “How could you not be attracted to us?”

“Vaginas are gross,” Robin told her. 

Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, the physics of them kinda disturbs me.”

“Chrissy!” Waverly whined from the floor. “Will you get high with us?”

“Rosita, too!” Nicole added, leaning her head on Waverly’s shoulder. 

Chrissy grinned, turning to look back at Robin who was now guarding his first aid kit. “No.”

“Please, Robin…” Chrissy begged. “Let Rosie and I share one and that’ll be all.”

“Yer gonna give some ta Waverly.” 

Rosita gaped at him. “How dare you say that. We were both on your side when you cut her off! I’ll even give you the cash to replace it on Tuesday.”

He looked to Jeremy, squinting at him. “What do ya tink? Ya gonna smoke too?”

“No, I’m good babysitting,” Jeremy told him. “But for them… if they’re not gonna give it to Waverly, then I don’t see why not.” 

Robin groaned, slowly opening the box filled with already rolled joints and pulled two out. He shook his head at the surprise on Chrissy’s face. “Dis is fer me. I’m gonna need it with all t’e girls being blitzed.”

**3:45 PM**

Chrissy and Rosita’s joint hadn’t gotten passed to Waverly but it _had_ gotten passed to Nicole, who had gotten more high than she had ever been _ever_. Robin had also opted to get more high than he normally did because he never liked being the most sober person in the room.

Jeremy looked through the smoky air at the chaos around him. While Chrissy did messy cartwheels in the open area at the front of the bakery to show off the cheerleading skills she had from high school, Nicole was making out with Waverly’s neck while they laid on the floor, apparently becoming _very_ horny when she was above her normal level of high, and Waverly was finishing the last of the blueberry pie above her head, moaning both from Nicole’s lips on her neck and _also_ because of the pie. 

Rosita had her head on Jeremy’s shoulder, eating some of the cheese and crackers he’d brought, giggling every time Chrissy did a cartwheel and/or fell down.

He then looked down at Robin who was laying on his side, his head in Jeremy’s lap, eyes drifting open and closed slowly. He heldone of Jeremy’s hands with both of his while Jeremy ran his other hand up and down his back under his shirt, making sure to be careful of the still raised scratches. 

Every once and awhile, Rosita would hold a vegan cheese cube up in front of Robin’s face and he’d gently take it between his teeth and chew on it while she pat the side of his head. 

Nicole sat up and stuck out her bottom lip at Waverly. “ _Kiss me_!” 

Waverely grinned, dropping her pie tin and pulling Nicole down by her suspenders. “You’re a _baby_ ,” she cooed before pulling her into a deep kiss and arching up into her. 

Nicole didn’t seem to mind this comment much because all she did was rut her hips into Waverly’s in response and Waverly moaned into her mouth.

“Yer hands are cold,” Robin whispered to Jeremy, looking up at him. 

“I’m always cold.”

“Ya want me jumper?” he asked, already sitting up and getting ready to take it off. Jeremy didn’t have time to accept or decline because Robin was already trying to help him out of his bomber jacket and into his sweater. Rosita sat up, crunching on some crackers while she watched Robin put his sweater on Jeremy and then lay right back in his lap into almost the exact same position as before. He even took Jeremy’s hand back in his, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles.

“Awe,” Rosita said, dropping her head back onto Jeremy's shoulder. “It’s so big on you.”

“Shorty’s little,” Robin said, looking at her and opening his mouth for her to put some more cheese. 

She dropped a chunk of cheese into his mouth and nodded into Jeremy’s shoulder. “Baby Jeremy’s small.” 

Robin smiled at him. “Are ya warm?”

“I’m so warm, thank you, Babu,” he mumbled, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Robin’s forehead.

“Yay,” he said, closing his eyes while Jeremy continued to rub his back. “...Hey, Shorty?”

Jeremy pulled his attention from where Chrissy was now rolling across the floor and looked towards Robin again. “Hm?”

“Can I ask ya someting?” 

“Yeah.”

“How come when Xavier found out dat we’re together ya didn’t care, but when Rosie and Nic found out, it made ya all nervous?”

Jeremy thought for a moment, chewing his lip. “I’ve actually known Xavier since I was fourteen. He used to volunteer at the boy’s home and one day… well, he found two of the older kids making fun of Fish and I for being gay, and he stopped them. Told us both that whoever we liked wouldn’t matter as long as whoever we were was better than the people who told us that we were nothing.”

Rosita sniffled a little into his shoulder. “Xavier’s good people.”

“He is,” Jeremy agreed. “He also told us he had no problem standing up to people who hurt us so when my ex hurt me- well… he broke his nose.”

Robin laughed at that. “Me level o’ respect fer him just increased tenfold.”

“Would you punch someone in the nose for baby Jeremy?” Rosita asked.

“Stop calling me that,” he grumbled.

“Rosie Roo, ya forget I did military trainin’. I can do a whole lot more dan jus’ punch someone in da nose.” 

She grinned at Jeremy for a moment before looking back down at Robin. “But would you?”

“Hell yeah I would. Ain’t no one gonna mess with Shorty on me watch.” 

Chrissy stood up and frowned. “Who’s doing dishes?”

Robin looked around. “No one, looks like.”

“Oh goodie,” she said with a clap, starting to fill her arms with dishes. “I like dishes.”

“I t’ought she was jus’ tryin’ ta get in me pants before,” Robin admitted, watching her disappear into the kitchen. “Are ya hard?”

Jeremy groaned, covering his face with his hands when Rosita started laughing. “Your head is on my dick, Robin.”

“Want me ta move?” Robin asked, starting to get up.

“No, you’re fine,” Jeremy assured.

“Want me ta help?”

Rosita snorted, doubling over in the other direction. “Ew!” 

Nicole sat up, glaring at Rosita. “Yer kinda ruinin’ t’e mood with all yer yellin’, Rosie.”

“You’re laying on the floor of a bakery!” Rosita shot back.

“So?” Waverly asked as she sat up. “At least _some of us_ are getting kinda sorta laid. Right, Nic?”

Nicole’s eyes widened at her but she nodded in agreement. “T’ough, I wouldn’t _mind_ bein’ on a bed, aye? Back at me gaff?”

Waverly smirked, “What’re you suggesting, Ms. Haught?” 

“Dat t’e floor makes me knee hurt,” she mumbled.

Her face fell. “Awe, baby, why didn’t you _tell_ me?”

Nicole pursed her lips. “Cause we were havin’ fun.” 

“If your knee’s hurting, you obviously _weren’t_ ,” Waverly mumbled sadly.

“Yea, I _was_ ,” Nicole whined. “I jus’ tink we’d be havin’ more fun onna bed.” 

She huffed and stood, holding her hands out for Nicole. “Well, _c’mon_ then. Let’s go.” 

Jeremy shifted Robin off his lap and stood, holding his hands out to keep them from going anywhere. “Wait for Chrissy to get done with dishes and then we can all walk back to the dorms together.”

“I’m already done,” Chrissy informed, coming out into the lobby and wiping her hands on her shirt.

“No way,” Robin said, stumbling into the kitchen with everyone else on his heels. 

She had, in fact, managed to do all of the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen in the five minutes she’d been in there.

“Great!” Waverly squealed, turning to Nicole. “To the dorms!”

Nicole nodded. “To t’e dorms.”

Rosita pulled the tablecloth off the table and threw it away and her and Robin pushed the tables back to where they belonged before looking back to where Nicole was back to kissing Waverly’s neck near the door.

“You’re gonna have to not do that for, like, five minutes,” Jeremy told them, trying to push them apart. 

Nicole frowned at him. “ _Why_?”

“Just because _we’re_ all fine with gay shit, doesn’t mean that everyone _else_ is fine with gay shit,” Chrissy reminded her, wrapping an arm around Waverly and pushing the front door open. 

Robin handed Jeremy his key and he locked the store up after Rosita had shut everything off, and they started down the sidewalk towards the dorms. Chrissy kept herself between Nicole and Waverly to keep them from doing anything that would result in some kind of confrontation with someone who didn’t approve of who they were and, despite Robin apparently being very cuddly when high, he did his best to resist the urge to hold Jeremy’s hand as they walked.

“This cheese is really good, Jer,” Rosita told him, now carrying most of the leftovers that they hadn’t left in the cooler. 

“I’m glad you like it,” he chuckled, watching Nicole move to the other side of Chrissy and whisper something in Waverly’s ear as her arm snaked around her waist.

“Nicole!” he groaned.

“Can she give me a piggyback ride?” Waverly asked excitedly.

Chrissy looked back at him desperately. “They’re not gonna let me keep them apart. I feel like this might be our best option.”

“Waverly,” Jeremy said slowly, holding onto her arm for a second. “Don’t kiss her or anything, alright? Just a piggyback ride.”

Waverly nodded, shaking her arm free. “Whatever, _Dad_.”

Jeremy glared at the amused look on Robin’s face. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say nothin’,” Robin said, stepping a little closer and lowering his voice. “Can I call ya Daddy, too?”

“Oh my god,” Rosita gasped, choking on a piece of cheese. Jeremy clapped her on the back, doing his best to ignore Robin’s annoyingly attractive smirk. “That’s revolting.”

“I told him to shut up.”

They all paused around Waverly and Nicole who were preparing for their piggyback ride and Robin stood in front of Nicole, ready to catch her if she fell forward. “Careful, alrigh’?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Waverly mumbled, hopping onto Nicole’s back with little to no effort exerted from either of them.

“She’s itty bitty!” Nicole huffed. “Ya really t’ought she coulda knocked big ol’ me down? Shame on all o’ ya’s! I’m stronger dan all o’ ya put together. Well, if ya take Robbie out a t’e mix. He’s alright in t’e muscle department. Ain’t dat right?”

“Yes!” Robin said quickly, even though Nicole had most definitely been looking towards Jeremy when she was speaking. It didn’t seem to matter either way, because Waverly wasn’t paying attention to anything but the person who was waving at them from across the street.

“Oh good. Because this wasn’t difficult enough trying to keep the five of you under control away from other people,” Jeremy grumbled, watching the person run across the street towards them.

“Hey, guys!” Kennedy called, smiling wildly at everyone. “How are you?”

“Great,” Nicole said, adjusting Waverly on her back and then giggling at something she whispered in her ear.

He grinned, rocking on his heels. “See that you two are still going strong.”

Jeremy let out a breath of relief, realizing that he didn’t need to keep them from spilling anything in front of Kennedy.

“The strongest,” Waverly said with a nod. 

“What about you, Jeremy?” Kennedy asked.

Jeremy shrugged. “Fine. Totally great.”

“He’s babysitting us,” Rosita informed, holding her fingers up to her mouth like she was smoking a joint. 

“Oh my god, shut up!” he whined, elbowing her in the side.

“He don’t give a shite,” Robin told them, leaning against the lamp pole. 

“I mean, I don’t get this happy from working at the diner all the time, Padre.”

Jeremy glared at the amused look on Robin’s face after a second person referred to him as dad in less than five minutes and then tugged at Waverly’s hair so she’d stop nibbling at Nicole's ear. “ _Stop it_ ,” he groaned. 

“Alrighty,” Kennedy said, grabbing Waverly around the waist and throwing her over his shoulder while she laughed uncontrollably. “To the dorms, aye?” 

“You don’t have to-”

Kennedy put up the hand that wasn’t around Waverly’s legs. “People on this campus’ll beat the shit out of people like us. Can’t have them being all nasty in the middle of everything,” he said, glancing around at the few people milling around on the nearest streets.

Robin set a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder before he could protest and shook his head. “He’s right, Shorty. Best we make sure dey’re nice and separated til we get ‘em ta t’e gaff.”

Jeremy sighed, chewing on his lip and glancing at Waverly, who seemed to be trying to catch a leaf that was skittering down the sidewalk. He handed it to her and she squealed in delight, obviously not seeming to mind that she was hanging over Kennedy’s shoulder.

“Baby, look at my leaf!” She squealed, holding it up to show Nicole with a beaming grin.

“ _Waverly,”_ half of them scolded. 

“Alright, let’s just hurry up, okay?” Jeremy said nervously.

Chrissy pulled at Nicole’s wrist, trying to talk the pout off her lips from not letting her go see Waverly’s leaf as they walked. 

Robin bumped Jeremy’s arm with his, smiling at him a little. “Don’t stress, Shorty. Ken ‘n Chirssy got t’e gals under control.”

He dropped his hand that was twisting at his bracelets again. “Not what I’m- _Ken_?”

“What’s got yer knickers all in a bunch, den? Ya’ve been all tense since we left t’e bakery,” Robin said, ignoring Jeremy looking towards Kennedy like he’d done something truly awful.

“Does it bother you that I didn’t… you know, smoke with everyone?” 

Robin shrugged. “No, why would it?”

“I just feel like I’m, I dunno, a _buzzkill_. You’ve been so cool about going slow with me and then I don’t even want to smoke with you and everyone.”

Robin frowned at him for a moment before moving to help get everyone into the dorm building. 

“I think Chrissy and I are going to my dorm for a while,” Rosita said to Nicole. “So if you two wanna take her to Wave’s dorm so Robin isn’t locked out of his room all day, Chrissy’ll be with me for a while.” 

Jeremy felt his face burn red when Rosita winked in his direction, but it seemed that everyone else was distracted by Waverly trying to roll off of Kennedy’s shoulder. 

“We can get there by ourselves, right, Bub?”

“For sure.” 

Kennedy looked towards Jeremy and Robin for approval and Jeremy shrugged. “Take the elevator and call Robin’s room when you get there.” 

Nicole nodded and Waverly let out a squeak as she grabbed at Nicole to try and pull her towards the elevator. “I’ll give ya a ring in a couple o’ minutes.”

The four girls disappeared towards different parts of the building and Kennedy waved goodbye to them. “That was exciting.” He started to walk in the direction of Robin’s dorm with Robin and Jeremy despite Jeremy really just wanting to be alone with Robin. 

“Thanks for helping with them,” Jeremy said, quickly grabbing the keys hanging out of Robin’s back pocket. 

“No problem. Come get me if they don’t call you, yeah?” he asked, stopping at the first door in Robin’s hallway. “Or call. Robin’s got my number.”

Robin nodded, watching Kennedy unlock his door and then looking back to Jeremy who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t look at me like dat, Shorty. I ain’t did nothin’ wrong.”

Jeremy shook his head, unlocking Robin’s door and turning the light of the dorm on. Robin chucked his hat into his open closet and started unbuttoning his shirt with one hand while searching through his rack of t-shirts. Jeremy watched him change into a Beatles shirt, eyes wandering over the scratches on his back again.

Before either of them could say anything, the phone rang and Robin moved to pick it up. He grinned. “...Okay, Kid. Call before you come back… Yeah, yeah, shove off, Mate. Dat ain’t any o’ yer business, now is it?... Alrigh’, I’ll see ya tonight, den.” He set the phone back onto its box and turned towards Jeremy who’d already taken a seat at the end of his bed. “We’ve got at least a couple of hours before Nic comes back.” 

Jeremy nodded while Robin sat next to him and started to unlace his combat boots. He took a deep breath, taking in the smell of weed, flour, and vanilla that seemed consistent with him despite what he baked that day. He felt Robin start to lean into him as he kicked off his shoes and then his arms snaked around his waist.

“I wish ya knew how much I jus’ wanna spend time with ya,” he whispered into Jeremy’s shoulder. “I could give a shites less what we’re doin’ as long as I get ta hear ya talk and see ya smile every once in a while, ‘cause shite, Jer, ya really don’t know what yer smile can do ta a man.” 

This in itself made Jeremy smile and he pressed his forehead against Robin’s. “Do you really mean that or are you just super high?”

“I’m t’e most honest when I’m stoned.” He left a soft kiss on Jeremy’s neck and squeezed his waist. “I don’t like ya feelin’ insecure with me or lettin’ yer feelin’s get all bottled up until ya start fidgetin’. I wanna make ya feel safe.” 

“You do make me feel safe,” Jeremy said softly.

Robin grinned, pulling away from him and moving to the record player. “Den I guess I’m doin’ me job, aye?” He set a record on it and soft jazz similar to what had been playing the days before started to play. “Can we jus’…” Robin took Jeremy’s hands in his and kissed his knuckles. “Lay down?”

“Are you asking to cuddle?” Jeremy raised his brow, an amused smile on his face.

A slight blush creeped up Robin’s face and he nodded. Jeremy moved back on the bed, pushing the covers down so that him and Robin could both get underneath them. Robin’s awkwardness faded and he stripped the shirt he’d just put on, hopping into the bed eagerly. 

“Ya know what I love?” he muttered, pulling the covers up over them and wrapped his arms around Jeremy. 

Jeremy rested his head against Robin’s chest and looked up to him. “Hm?”

“A lad who’s not too full o’ himself ta cuddle with me.”

“How could I not want to cuddle with you?” Jeremy asked, finding himself pressing himself closer to Robin. “You’re warm and you smell like baked goods.”

“Baked a lot o’ tings, really…”

Jeremy laughed into his chest and rested a hand on his stomach, tracing patterns onto his skin. “You’re always so warm.”

“Me blood’s always movin’ ‘round tryna find somewhere chilly ta sleep.” 

He looked up at the look of thought on Robin’s face and realized he was being serious. “I don’t think that’s why.”

Robin frowned. “What makes ya so sure?” 

“I’m a chemistry major.” 

“So ya know all ‘bout blood now do ya?”

Jeremy shrugged. “I’m gonna go out on a limb and say I know a little more than the stoned jazz history major.”

“Fair…” Robin trailed, kissing the top of Jeremy’s head. “Did I tell ya that ya look absolutely adorable in that big ol’ jumper? Yer so bloody little.”

“Compared to you,” he reminded.

Robin fingers trailed to the bottom of the sweater, tentatively tracing the skin under the hem. Jeremy’s eyes slowly closed, relaxing even further into him and Robin took that as a sign that he was okay to run his fingers up and down his back.

“Dat alrigh’, Shorty?” he mumbled, dragging the pads of his fingers up Jeremy’s skin.

Jeremy hummed in response and he soon, he felt the nerves leave and kissed a few spots on Robin’s chest and then let his eyes follow the lines of the roman numeral tattoos on his chest.

“May… 19th, 1989 and September 2nd 1985?” 

Robin took his hand and kissed his knuckles. “Day me brother and me mum passed on,” he explained, resting Jeremy’s hand on top of the tattoos and letting him feel the beat of his heart. “Right on me heart.” 

“That’s really sweet,” Jeremy cooed, looking up and pressing a kiss to Robin’s lips.

“Yer really sweet,” he said, kissing him back and squeezing his hand. 

Jeremy pulled his hand back for a moment. “You just got so cold.”

Robin face burned red and he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. “Blood took a trip downstairs…”

**7:58 PM**

After a long spout of cuddling and teasing each other, Jeremy had succumbed to the very little sleep he’d been running off of and Robin had found himself laying with Jeremy in his arms, being so incredibly calm that sleep overtook him as well. 

It felt almost unnatural for Robin to feel so _natural_ while holding someone like he did with Jeremy. Almost his entire run with other men had been confined to flings and friends with benefits or random hookups at music festivals. This was so incredibly not _that_.

He felt like the air had gotten taken out of his lungs when the phone started ringing on the nightstand and he had to pull himself out of whatever dream state he’d been in. He reached for it, trying not to wake Jeremy’s still peaceful form, and pressed the phone to his ear.

“What?” he asked in a hushed voice, looking down at Jeremy’s head, still rested on his chest. 

“Why’re we whisperin’?” Nicole whispered back from the other end of the line.

“Shorty’s asleep,” he said, subconsciously running his fingers across Jeremy’s back.

The phone seemed to be moved around and then Nicole was talking to what must have been Waverly. “He’s gotta lad over and t’e lad is takin’ himself a wee bit o’ a nap in me gaff.”

“ _Our_ gaff,” Robin corrected. “‘N I’m not makin’ him go back ta his neither. Yer just gonna have ta stay quiet when ya show up.”

Nicole made a gagging noise and Robin rolled his eyes, checking again to make sure Jeremy was still fast asleep. “I’ll be down in a bit, Mate. Might waste a wee bit more time up ‘ere if yer gonna make me go all silent, aye?”

“I ain’t complainin’,” Robin agreed. “Waste as much time as ya need.”

**10:07 PM**

After Nicole’s phone call, Robin had managed to slip in and out of sleep for a couple more hours. In the time he was awake, he spent it staring at Jeremy, admiring his features and listening to his breathing speed up and then falter back into a slow and steady pattern soon after.

It was soon after he’d woken up again that he heard Nicole’s keys jingle on the other side of the unlocked door and then scrape against the handle as she went to unlock it as she often did even when it was already unlocked. 

He pulled the blankets up over him and Jeremy and watched the door open and close through the darkness of the dorm. He covered Jeremy’s eyes with one hand and flipped on the lamp between their beds with the other, squinting to see the smirk on Nicole’s face.

“Dat’s really cute,” she gushed, cringing a little when Robin pressed his pointer finger to his lips to try and shush her. “I’m just happy yer not slaggin’ ‘round campus anymore.”

“Ya wasn’t even here fer t’e worst o’ dat, Kid,” he muttered, leaning his back against the pillow, still covered Jeremy’s eyes with his hand. “But yer right. I’m done with all dat now.”

“Ya know, I don’t tink I’ve ever seen ya cuddle with another bloke ‘fore,” she said, stripping off the clothes, majority of which she’d definitely just put back on before coming back to the dorm. “He must be mighty special, aye?”

Robin looked back to Jeremy while Nicole changed into her sleeping clothes and found himself smiling just from looking at him. “You don’t even know t’e half o’ it.” 

Nicole leaned over and ruffled Robin’s hair, shooting him a genuine smile. “I’m happy fer ya, Robbie. I hope ya know dat.”

He smiled back, kissing the top of Jeremy’s head. “I mean, look at yerself, Kid. Only been ‘ere fer a couple o’ months and ya already got yerself a real serious mot, yeah? I didn’t tink ya’d wanna jump back in t’e game so fast.”

“After Shae, ya mean? Or after-” Nicole’s hand drifted to her shoulder and Robin shrugged.

“Either. Shae was yer first love, ya know. Neither of ya wanted it ta end t’e way it did.”

Nicole dropped onto her bed and shrugged. “Everyting happens fer a reason, aye?” 

“Indeed it does,” Robin agreed, reaching up for the lamp again. “Don’t bother ya dat he stays over, right?”

“Did ya do anytin’ nasty on me bed?”

“No.”

Nicole grinned. “Den I don’t give a shite, Robbie. As long as I ain’t hear any moanin’ while I’m tryna sleep, he can stay over whenever he wants ta.”

“T’ank ya, Kid,” he said, turning off the lamp and relaxing into Jeremy once more.

“Ah whatever, go ta sleep,” she grumbled, climbing into her bed. 

“Nighty night, Nic,” Robin hummed, rubbing Jeremy’s back once more.

“Shut up, Robin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We noticed that we got very few comments on our last chapters and we were just wondering if there was a reason behind that because we love getting comments from you guys and we weren't sure if we did something wrong in the Friendsgiving chapters or if it just happened that most people didn't feel like commenting this time.
> 
> Aside from that, I posted a sad Jetri one shot last week called "I Just Don't Feel Good" if you want a good sad.  
> Also my WE Twitter is @_Jetri if ya wanna give me a follow  
> Alright, okay, enjoy Queef's chapter xx


	13. I Will Hobble Meself Outta ‘ere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Uh oh..Sad Waverly." - Wynonna Earp - s3
> 
> ...Read Notes for Warnings...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Queef here.  
> I know the world is a big pile of shit right now and I'm sorry to anyone who is being negatively affected by it, but I hope that this will finally curve humanity on the right path. Some may say that it's not the time to be speaking about other matters at the moment, and if that is you, that's fine. Wait to read this chapter then.  
> But, personally, I believe we all need to take a break at some points to keep our mental health in check.  
> With that being said, this chapter was already planned to be a NOT happy one, which I know is NOT what anyone needs right now, but it's unfortunately how the storyline played out. So if you're not prepared for something of a darker matter, I'd wait on this one.  
> So here we go.  
> WARNING: There are references/mentions of Child Abuse in this chapter. If that's triggering to you, I would suggest you not read that part. It's pretty clear when it comes into play, so I'm not too worried about that aspect. It's not very graphic, but it's there, so if you don't wanna read that, read the endnotes to figure out what it was in a gentle summary.  
> Another thing.   
> This is probably one of my worst chaps, so bear with me. I tried, but I feel that I fell a little short and I'm sorry about that. 
> 
> Stay safe everybody :)

**Tuesday, October 12th, 1993 8:42 AM**

Nicole stared up at her ceiling, continuing to rack through the thoughts in her brain much like she had been doing for the past half hour. Before she had left Waverly’s dorm on Saturday, the brunette promised her that she would not only call her when she got to Purgatory the next day so she knew she made it there ok but also that she would call her when they got home Monday night. 

She had gotten the call on Sunday, but not the call on Monday.

So, quite frankly, she was a little concerned. 

Nicole had a couple of scenarios playing through her mind of what could have happened. One. They got home the night before and Waverly had been too tired to call and was still asleep this morning since she didn’t have classes on Tuesdays. Two. Waverly simply forgot, meaning that Nicole was already far more invested in whatever was going on between them. And three. 

She  _ hadn’t  _ made it back to campus alright.

The redhead quickly sat up, letting out a groan as she rubbed her palms into her eyes to try and rid the images of  _ multiple  _ scenarios of that realm that flashed through her brain. Her heart sped up, beating against her ribs as her muscles tightened all over her body. A jolt of pain shot through her right leg and shoulder with it, and she dropped a hand to her knee with a wince as she rolled her shoulder around a little. She knew there was a panic attack coming on and that there was only one way to stop it.

Nicole huffed, grabbing her leg and moving it over the side of the bed as she turned her body and got up.  _ “Bloody Christ,”  _ she groaned, stumbling forward the second she put weight on her bad leg. She pushed herself upright after bracing herself against the nightstand, quickly dropping back onto her bed and grabbing her knee brace off the floor. She strapped it on and grabbed her crutches off the wall next to her, using them to help her up and slipping her arms in them to get her over to her closet so she could pull some clothes on. She threw a sweatshirt on over the tank top she slept in, muttering a slew of curses as she got a pair of jeans on. She tugged a random white beanie over her hair that she didn’t feel like brushing, squirting a dot of toothpaste on her finger and wiping it on her tongue for some more half-assed hygiene, then plopping on the bed to yank her shoes on. The redhead grimaced and swallowed it down after she stood back up off her bed, making her way over to the door and heading out, hauling herself over to the elevator to get herself to the third floor.

Her heart continued to thump in her chest as she shot glares at the students that looked at her weird as she crutched along. She pulled in a breath when she came to a halt outside Chrissy and Waverly’s dorm and gave the door a knock. Her brows furrowed in worry, and she ran her thumb over the screw at the end of the handle on her crutch, letting out a small breath of relief when the door came open. 

Chrissy flicked her eyes up and down the redhead for a split second, giving her a small attempt at a smile as she stepped out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her with a sigh. “Hey . . .”

“What’s wrong?” Nicole immediately questioned, backing up a step. “First, s-she didn’t call me last night, ‘n now yer all . . . not Chrissy like.” 

The blonde leaned back against the door, running her hands up and down her tired face a few times. “Waves had a bad night . . . and now a bad morning.” 

“Why?” The redhead asked worriedly.

“Cause . . . We got home and were unpacking, whatever, and she checked the phone for the voicemails we got while we were gone.” Chrissy dropped her hands, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Her sister called a few hours before we got home- Wynonna did. And she’s upset she missed it cause they haven’t talked since last Christmas.” 

Nicole’s brow dipped. “Oh . . . Why don’t she jus’ call ‘er back?”

“Cause she called from a payphone and didn’t leave her number. Just a little voicemail.” 

The redhead’s shoulders slumped sadly. “Poor ting,” she mumbled.

“D’you wanna go see her?” Chrissy questioned. 

“Ya really tink she’s up fer visitors at t’e moment?” 

The blonde shrugged a little. “I’m sure she’d rather someone be with her than not. I’ve gotta get to class in a few, so she’d be alone. Besides, maybe you can cheer her up a little?”

Nicole clenched her jaw. “Ya sure?” 

“If she don’t want you there, she’ll tell you. C’mon.” Chrissy pushed the door back in and let her in behind her, closing it as Nicole slowly made her way over to the bundle of blankets on the brunette’s bed, gently taking a seat on the opposite end from her. 

Waverly lifted her head over the blanket barrier to look at her, squinting her puffy eyes a little with a furrowed brow. “Bub?” 

Her small, broken voice shattered Nicole’s heart. “Hi, Love,” she mumbled. Waverly’s eyes filled with tears and Nicole was scared she was going to push her away, but she relaxed when her little hand wiggled out from under the covers to reach for her. The redhead let out a sad sigh, setting her crutches she had been holding up in between her legs on the floor and moving up the bed, laying down with her back pressed against the wall. She wrapped her arms around the brunette when she flipped over and curled into her chest. “Yer alrigh’,” she said softly into her hair, resting her chin on her head and catching Chrissy’s eyes as she threw her backpack strap over her shoulder, giving her a nod when she started towards the door.

Waverly’s hands gripped the front of her sweatshirt and she choked out a sob. Nicole closed her eyes after the door clicked closed behind the blonde, resting her head against the pillow as she slowly ran her hand up and down Waverly’s back. “I knew I sh-shouldn’t have gone,” the brunette mumbled.

“Don’t say dat,” Nicole whispered. “It ain’t yer fault.” 

“Yes, it is!” She cried, fisting her hands tighter into her shirt as she looked up at her. “If I wouldn’t have gone this year, I-I wouldn’t have missed it.”

The redhead pushed her hand through her hair, unsticking the strands from her wet cheeks. “Aye . . . Even if ya didn’t get ta talk with Wynonna, ya still had a good time with t’e rest o’ yer family, yea?”

“No,” Waverly sniffled, lifting her head up so Nicole could slip her arm around her and leaning the side of her head on her bicep. 

“Why’s that?” She questioned softly, wiping more tears from Waverly’s face.

She shook her head with a shrug. “I thought maybe it’d be different going back . . . It wasn’t. It’s- To everyone, I’m still  _ Baby Waverly _ . Baby Waverly can’t handle herself, Baby Waverly isn’t adult enough yet, Baby Waverly needs to be told what to do every three seconds. No one takes me  _ fucking _ seriously and it’s  _ so  _ annoying-  _ especially  _ Willa.  _ God _ . She tried to give me a  _ bedtime _ . A  _ bedtime! _ At 10 PM! I’m  _ 19 years old,  _ what the hell?!”

Nicole let out a heavy sigh, rolling her eyes. “Sounds like a bloody arsehole ta me.” 

“She is,” the brunette mumbled. “That’s why I don’t talk to her unless I have to.” The redhead gently worked the tangles out of her hair as she continued to slowly slide her hand through it, leaning forward and pushing a soft kiss to her forehead. She hugged her a little closer when she saw her eyes fill with more tears. “Sure, it was nice to see my mom and stuff, but . . . just  _ one  _ minute talking with Nonna would’ve been worth not going home.” 

“I know, Darlin’,” Nicole mumbled, feeling her shaky breath on her neck when she buried her face there. “Do ya want me ta stick with ya today or do ya wanna be alone?”

Waverly pulled her head back, quickly sitting up. “Nic, you- if you don't wanna deal with . . .” she gestured to herself, “ _ this mess _ , I’m not gonna make you.” 

“Hey,” she said softly as she sat up to face her. “I don’t mind, alrigh’? But if ya want me ta leave ya alone fer t’e day, I will.” 

“I don’t wanna force you,” she mumbled, wiping her face with the inside of her shirt. 

“Ya ain’t  _ forcin’  _ me, Wave. I wanna be ‘ere.” Nicole shifted more towards her, wincing as she drug her leg over.

Waverly let out a sad huff, dropping her hand to her upper shin and feeling where the brace started under her jeans, then remembering how she saw her holding her crutches when she first saw her. “ _ Bub _ .” Her voice broke and her face softened. “Why’d you even come up here if your knee hurt?”

Nicole’s brow dipped with a swallow as she pulled her hands into her lap. “Cause I was scared when ya never rang me like ya said ya were gonna.” She shook her head. “Jus’ got a bit paranoid, is all. Needed ta make sure ya got back safe.” 

“I’m sorry,” Waverly mumbled.

“Nah, ain’t yer fault,” the redhead assured. “I jus’ . . . tend ta get in me head ‘n worry too much ‘bout t’e people I care about.” Nicole watched as her lip wobbled again, swallowing down the lump in her throat as she gently took Waverly’s hand. “Baby,” she mumbled softly. The brunette scooted forward and climbed onto her lap, locking her ankles behind her back and looping her arms tightly around her neck. Nicole wrapped her arms around her middle and pushed her face into her shoulder, letting out a breath as she slowly ran her hand up and down her back. “What’s a’matta?”

“I just don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

Waverly sat up, closing her eyes as she moved her hands to the side of her neck and pressed their foreheads together. Nicole slid her hands to her hips, slowly rubbing her thumbs in patterns until Waverly opened her eyes again and looked at her. “I don’t  _ get  _ how you walked into my life and flipped it upside down in the best way possible. I don’t  _ get  _ how you’re  _ putting up  _ with me cause almost _everyone_ else in my life would’ve just ignored me by now. I don’t  _ get  _ how you just  _ know  _ how to make me feel better somehow. And . . . And I guess I really just don’t get  _ you, _ Cole, but I think that’s a good thing- the best thing, actually. Cause . . .” she slid her hand down to rest over Nicole’s heart, “Cause that means I get to continue learning your heart, just like you are mine.” 

Nicole let out a breath, closing her eyes for a second and shaking her head. “Wave.” Her voice broke as she opened her eyes, flicking them over the parts of her face she could see from being this close to it. “Yer not gonna like it in dere. It’s . . . I’m scarred ‘n damaged, both inside and out.”

Waverly released a heavy sigh, feeling her body finally start to relax. “I guess that makes two of us then.” She gave her a tiny smile, pulling back from her forehead as she moved her hands to her cheeks and gently met her lips for a few seconds before curling her arms back around her neck in a hug.

Nicole let out a hum, hugging her back tightly and tapping her thigh with one hand, getting her to move her legs out from behind her so she could lay them back. “I guess it does.” 

“Mhm,” the brunette mumbled into her chest as she resituated herself, pulling her quilt over them as she hitched a leg up and dropped it over Nicole’s hip as the other laid out in between her legs. 

The redhead ran her short nails up and down Waverly’s back after she slipped her hand up the back of her shirt. “Whaddya wanna do now, Love?” 

“Lay with you,” she mumbled, tugging the quilt to her chin. “You’re warm.”

“Most’d say  _ Haught _ ,” Nicole smirked.

Waverly tipped her head up to shoot her a playful glare. “Gimme the remote.” Nicole chuckled, reaching over and grabbing the remote and her glasses off the nightstand, handing them both to her. “Aw, you know how blind I am,” she cooed, slipping them on her face as she flicked the TV on that was sitting on the desk across the room, flicking through the channels for a second before deciding on Saved by the Bell. She set the remote next to her, snuggling into Nicole’s chest with a content hum, glancing down at the front of her red sweatshirt with a smile. “I like your Mickey.” 

“ _ What _ ?” The redhead questioned, quickly looking down at her. Waverly cocked a brow, tapping on the Mickey Mouse on the front of her shirt. “Oh.” Nicole’s face blushed quickly.

The brunette let out a snort, “You thought I meant dick, didn’t you?” 

“I did,” she confirmed with a chuckle. “And last I checked, I didn’t ‘ave one of ‘em, so ya scared me a bit dere.” 

“No?” Waverly grinned a little as she slid her hand down her body, squeezing her crotch over her jeans and watching as Nicole’s eyes shot out of her head with a sharp pull of breath. “Nope. No mickey there.” 

“ _ Waverly _ ,” Nicole muttered. She cupped her hand over the side of the brunette’s neck and pushed her thumb into the bottom of her jaw to force her to look at her as she slid her other hand under the hem of her sweatpants  _ and  _ underwear, grabbing a handful of ass with a raise of her brows. “Do dat again ‘n see what happens.”

Waverly’s eyes were bulging, both at the feeling of her fingers digging into her skin and the testing growl of her voice. She relaxed her features, though, pulling her hand off Nicole’s crotch and popping it out from under the blanket. She took Nicole’s hand that was pressed up on her jaw and pulled it away, laying her head back on the redhead’s chest and pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles with a happy hum, wrapping her hand around one of her  _ unearthly  _ long fingers. 

Nicole shook her head with a murmur, “Didn’t tink so.” She gave her ass one last squeeze in warning before pulling her hand out and wrapping it around her, pressing a kiss to her head as she let her eyes fall to the TV.

“Maybe later, though.” 

Nicole almost choked on her own spit, snapping her wide eyes towards her and seeing the smirk that was gracing her lips. She let out a breath, looking back to the TV and shaking her head. _ “Bloody ‘ell.” _

**11:47 PM**

“Bub, this was a bad idea,” Waverly mumbled from behind the redhead as she held the door of the diner open for her.

Nicole looked over her shoulder at her, letting out a sigh, “I’m alrigh’. I promise.” She turned and continued on into the diner. “Now, c’mon. I’m starvin’.” 

“You can sit where ever you want!” Kennedy called from where he was taking someone else’s order across the room. 

Waverly shook her head in disagreement, following as Nicole led them over to the booth they sat at every time they went. Nicole sat down, letting out a breath she tried to shield as  _ not  _ one of relief, but the look of worry she got from the brunette when she sat across from her proved she had failed. She leaned her crutches against the wall beside her, turning her body and propping her leg up on the seat. She rubbed her shoulder as Kennedy approached, giving him a smile as he set their menus down in front of them. “Hiya, Mate.” 

“You alright?” He asked slowly. “You’re kinda pale.” 

“I’m grand,” she assured.

“Cole,” Waverly mumbled in disapproval.

The redhead looked towards her, touching her hand that was sitting on top of the table for all but a second before pulling back. “Quit yer worrin’, Love. I’ve been t’rough more hell dan jus’ walkin’ across campus fer some food, trust me.”

“But-”

“ _ Wave _ s .” Nicole’s eyes were somehow both pleading for her to stop worrying  _ and  _ calming at the same time. 

She let out a sigh, sitting back in her booth. “ _ Alright _ . You’re fine.” 

“ _ Thank you _ .” 

Kennedy tapped his pen against the table as he leaned forward onto it. “I’m glad you two look  _ a lot _ more sober than you did Saturday.”

“Can’t say t’e same fer  _ you _ , Mate,” Nicole smirked with a raise of her brows.

He pursed his lips as he stood back up straight and adjusted the glasses on his nose, seemingly trying to cover his bloodshot eyes. “ _ Touché _ .” He flipped his notepad open and looked between them. “What would y’all like?” 

“ _ Coffee _ ,” Nicole hummed, flipping her menu open. “Lots of coffee. Also some time cause ya’ve got too much good lookin’ shite on yer bloody menu.”

“ _ Lots of coffee _ , got it.” Kennedy looked to Waverly. “And for you, Padre?”

Waverly blinked at him for a moment in confusion. “ _ Padre _ ?” She asked, almost in offense. 

His eyes widened. “Uh . . . M- Madre?” 

“You’re not helping yourself there, Bud,” the brunette mumbled.

“Ya know,” he pointed at her with his pen, “I’m just gonna stick with Waverly.” 

“ _ Great _ idea,” she said with a little laugh, shaking her head as she looked down at the menu. “Can I just get a veggie wrap and some peach tea please?”

“You may.” Kennedy jotted it down on his notepad. “No fries with that?” He looked up at her, eyes widening at the glare she had set on him.

“How  _ dare  _ you offer me fries and think I  _ wouldn’t  _ want them.” 

His face relaxed with a laugh as he wrote it down. “I’m sincerely sorry.” He looked to Nicole. “You decided yet?” 

She let out a hum as her eyes stayed on the menu. “Love, are ya gonna kill me if I get something not vegan?”

“Depends on what it is,” Waverly mumbled.

Nicole raised her eyes timidly with a soft smile on her face. “A mac ‘n cheese toastie.” 

Waverly tipped her head at her with a smile. “Is that a grilled cheese with mac ‘n cheese in it?”

“Yes,” she mumbled.

The brunette let out a heavy, drawn-out sigh. “I  _ guess _ I won’t kill you for that- Just cause I know you ate almost half of the bowl of mac and cheese that you brought to Friendsgiving, so I  _ assume  _ you really like it.” 

“I  _ asked  _ if anyone wanted any more,” she defended.

Waverly chuckled, looking up at Kennedy. “She has my blessing.” 

He smiled as he wrote it down. “You want fries with that, too?”

“Can I get dem lil cubey ones ya got instead?” She asked with a dimpled smile that made Waverly’s heart melt. 

“Home fries? Yea.” Kennedy jotted it down, taking their menus back. “Alright, I’ll be back with your drinks in a bit.” 

“Tanks, Donnie,” Nicole grinned, adjusting the beanie on her head.

“Quit calling me that,” he whined, smacking her foot that was up on the booth with the menus, but immediately regretting it with the flash of pain that stormed her face as she cupped her hand over her knee.  _ “OhmyGodI’m-” _

“Yer fine,” she mumbled, looking over to Waverly with a nod of assurance when she grabbed her arm in worry.

“Ok . . .” She let go of her, sitting back. “Why Donnie though?”

“My last name’s Donovan,” Kennedy grumbled, crossing his arms as he shot Nicole a glare.

“How d’you know that?” Waverly questioned, looking towards the redhead.

“He’s me lab partner in Physics now,” Nicole smirked. “Which he  _ loves _ .” 

“I don’t. You got us in trouble with Dr. Stone when you did the  _ one  _ thing she told us  _ not  _ to do and  _ exploded  _ a battery.” 

Waverly’s eyes shot out of her head. “You  _ what _ ?!” 

“Ok, but ya  _ gotta  _ admit, watchin’ ‘er run fer t’e fire extinguisher was t’e funniest shite ya  _ ever  _ saw.” 

Waverly and Kennedy both glared at her, but Kennedy broke with a snort when he actually thought back to it. “Ok, yea, you’re right.” 

“Aye,  _ see !” _

“ _ Nicole _ ,” Waverly scolded. “You need to stop being so . . .  _ dangero us .” _

“Aw, ya like it, t’ough,” she smirked.

“No, I don’t want you  _ hur t _ _,”_ she huffed.

Nicole pursed her lips, letting out a heavy breath, _“_ _ Fine _ _._ I’ll be more careful fer ya.” 

_ “ _Thank_ you _ .” Waverly looked up at Kennedy. “Ok. We’re done distracting you. Don’t need you getting chewed out by your manager over us.” 

He gave them a smile, patting the table before turning away. “Alright. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” 

They watched him go before looking back towards one another. Waverly pulled at the messy bun on the top of her head to tighten it as she shifted to face her. “Well then.” 

“Indeed,” Nicole chuckled. Her brows dipped a little, though, in thought. “Yer . . . Yer not upset about the food ting, are ya? Cause I won’t eat shite like dat ‘round ya if ya are”

Waverly shook her head. “I’m not. I had trouble parting with cheese when I went vegan, so I get it. Besides, I’m not gonna force you to do anything a certain way  _ just  _ because of me. I’m not like that.” 

Nicole nodded with a smile. “Alrigh’ . . . I ain’t gonna force ya ta do anythin’ either, fer the record.”

“Good,” she giggled. “Cause I wouldn’t do it.” 

The redhead turned her body, meeting Waverly’s eyes as she propped her foot up on the space of the booth in between her legs. “Good. Cause I don’t want ya ta ever do somethin’ dat ya don’t wanna.” Waverly smiled softly at her, but widened her eyes a little when she felt her foot press forward ever so slightly. “And ya’d tell me if ya  _ ever  _ didn’t want somethin’ ta be happenin’, right?”

The brunette nodded, “Of course I would.”

Nicole kept her face neutral as she added some more pressure with a bend of her ankle. “Would ya?” 

“Yea. I promise,” Waverly assured with a nod, dropping her hand to her leg and slowly running her nails up her shin with a tiny smirk.

“Mm,” Nicole hummed, scooting forward some and bending her foot in towards her to add even more pressure. “Glad we’re in agreement.” 

The brunette swallowed, keeping her eyes on her face and her face only as she dug her nails into her leg, pulling in a slow breath. “Mhm.” 

Kennedy cleared his throat as he stopped at their table, setting their drinks in front of them. Nicole quickly scooted back in her seat, moving her foot to the ground as she looked up at him with an innocent smile, letting it fall when she saw he was avoiding their eyes. She cleared her throat. “Uh, cheers, Mate.” She scooted her coffee mug over to her, finally meeting his eyes and seeing the deep blush on his cheeks.

“Thanks, Kennedy,” Waverly mumbled, sticking her straw in her cup and taking a slow drink, shooting the redhead a glare. 

“No problem,” he said with a smile, continuing to look anywhere but their faces again. “Food’ll be out soon.”

Waverly rubbed her face when he turned away from them, letting out a groan. “Look what you did to the poor thing, Bub.” 

She put her hands up with a chuckle. “His fault, not mine.” 

The brunette rolled her eyes, pulling her legs up criss-cross on the bench. “ _ There _ . No more scaring Kenny.” 

_ “Kenny?” _ Nicole echoed with a snort. 

“It’s cute,” she shrugged, a slow smirk working on her face. “. . . So is Nicky-”

_ “Absolutely not!” _ She gagged as Waverly turned into a fit of giggles. “I will hobble myself outta ‘ere, do  _ not  _ test me.”

“I’m messing with you.” The brunette tried her best to keep the smile off her face. “I won’t call you that again . . .  _ Nicky _ -”

“ _ Waverly _ .”

**2:19 PM**

Nicole slowly ran her fingers through Waverly’s hair, feeling her comfortable weight on top of her as she laid on her back on the brunette’s bed. She wasn’t a million percent if she was asleep or not, but she hoped that she was.

When they had gotten back from the diner, Waverly, of course, had checked the phone since she had a missed call. The message wasn’t anything of importance, but she had accidentally made Wynonna’s voice mail from the day before start playing and it had sent her right back into the spiral of sadness.

Nicole had calmed her down again for the most part, but she had pretty much worn herself out entirely this time around. The redhead let out a deep exhale, hugging her arms around her body lightly and pressing a kiss to her forehead. She gently pulled her glasses off, setting them on the nightstand and pretty much confirming she was asleep since she didn’t stir from it at all. 

The redhead winced only a little as she shifted her legs to a new angle so her feet weren’t hanging off the end of the bed anymore, letting her head roll to the side to rest on the pillow as she closed her eyes. She was well aware that she had Pop Culture at 3 PM. And she was also well aware that she had a physical therapy appointment right after it,  _ just _ like every other Tuesday.

But she was heavily considering skipping both.

She knew all they would be doing in Pop Culture would be notes, which she could just steal from Robin  _ or  _ Jeremy later since they were all in the class. And she wouldn’t be able to do much at physical therapy anyway since her knee was hurting so bad today. There was no  _ way _ she’d be able to exercise it much if she could barely even bend it at the moment, and her shoulder wasn’t no better. 

Nicole’s eyes snapped open after a few minutes of thoughts and contemplation when the phone ringing startled her. She let out a breath, looking down as Waverly let out a little noise of annoyance in her sleep, pulling the quilt on them over part of her head. Nicole reached over and grabbed the phone box, turning it towards her and seeing that it was an unknown caller that had never called before. She rolled her eyes, but decided to answer it anyway just in case. 

That was the normal thing to do, right?

She cleared her throat as she fumbled the phone off the holder, pressing it to her ear. “Yello?” 

“Uh . . . Is Waverly there?” 

Nicole’s eyes widened and she slid a hand down the brunette’s back, scrunching her face as she tried out her best not-Irish accent because if  _ she  _ picked up the phone and got her voice, she would most  _ definitely  _ think she had the wrong number. “Who’s this?”

She was already pretty fucking sure that she knew who it was, but she wasn’t going to get her excited if she wasn’t 100% sure. 

“No, who’s  _ this _ ?” The woman on the other end questioned.

“I asked first. So who are you?” 

“I’m  _ Wynonna God Damn Earp _ . Who the  _ fuck  _ are you and  _ why  _ are you on my sister’s phone?” 

Nicole muttered a curse under her breath as she shook Waverly, pulling the phone from her ear. “ _ Wave _ , wake up.” 

_ “Noo,”  _ she whined, flipping over on her. 

“Yer  _ sister’s _ on t’e bloody phone.  _ Wake up.”  _

The brunette shot right up, spinning around and ripping the phone out of her grip, pressing her free hand into Nicole’s stomach to keep herself upright. “Nonna?” 

“ _ There _ you are.  _ Jeez _ , Babygirl.” 

Waverly covered her hand over her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut, falling right back onto the redhead’s chest.  _ “Oh my God.”  _

“I tried to call yesterday but-”

“I know you did, I’m sorry. I was in Purgatory.”

“ _ Ew _ ,” she grimaced. “Why?” 

“To see  _ Mama _ , Wy,” she huffed.

“Oh . . . yea.” There was silence for a second. “Who the hell answered first? Who’re you with?” 

Her eyes widened as she glanced up at the redhead from where she was laying. “Uh- It’s no one.” She met Nicole’s eyes, giving her a look of apology. Nicole shook her head in understanding, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

“No one?” Wynonna questioned.

“No one of your concern.” Waverly met her eyes with a silent wince. “She just left the room anyway.” 

The older one let out a sigh, “Fine.”

Waverly swallowed back the tears in her eyes, trying to relax with the help of Nicole’s hand slowly running up and down her back. “So where are you?- Are you alright?- Why’d you ca-”

“Hey,  _ slow down _ , Wave,” Wynonna breathed out. “I’m still in Greece. And I’m perfectly fine, I promise.” Waverly let out a small breath of relief with that, though she really wished she wasn’t where she was. “And I called cause . . . I miss you. And I’m sorry.” 

Nicole wiped the tear that fell from her eye, wrapping her arms around her. “You’re always  _ sorry _ , Wynonna. That doesn’t do me any fucking good anymore.” 

“I . . . I know, Wave. Really, I do.” 

“Obviously you  _ don’t _ . It’s been almost a  _ year! _ No calls, no letters, no  _ nothing!” _ Waverly fisted Nicole’s sweatshirt in her hand. “When you first left, you told me you weren’t abandoning me. So  _ tell  _ me what you call this then.”

Wynonna swallowed, “I’m trying to  _ protect  _ you, Babygirl.” 

“Protect me?!” She pushed off of Nicole, sitting up in between her legs with her legs to her chest. “From what?!”

“From  _ me.” _

The older one’s voice broke with the last word and it opened the floodgates. Waverly covered her hand over her mouth, and Nicole sat up, pulling her to her chest and hugging her arms tightly around her when she leaned completely into her. _“_ __B_ reath e _ _,_ Darlin’,” she mumbled softly.

Waverly pulled in a slow breath and let it out even slower to gather herself. “Nonna . . . You don’t  _ need  _ to protect me from you. I don’t  _ care _ . I just need my  _ sister  _ back.” 

“Babygirl, you don’t kn-” Wynonna sucked in a breath. “I’m  _ broken _ .  _ Far  _ past repair.” 

“You don’t think  _ I’m  _ broken, too? Did you forget we grew up in the same  _ fucking  _ house!? With the  _ same  _ asshole? Not to  _ mention  _ that  _ I  _ got the leftovers after you and Mama cause God  _ knows  _ he never touched his Willa. After he was done with Mama, he moved to you, and after you and your big  _ fucking  _ mouth that got him all wound up again,  _ I  _ got the rest.  _ Mama _ got the bloody nose and  _ you  _ got the belt, but  _ I  _ got the broken ribs, bloody noses,  _ and  _ the _god damn_ belt. Do you know how many baby teeth I lost on my own?  _ Four _ .  _ Four fucking teeth  _ that he  _ didn’t  _ knock out of my head. Do you know  _ how  _ many times Mama had to pop one of my shoulders back into place?  _ Seven times _ . . . And I  _ know _ . I  _ know  _ you tried to stop him almost every time,  _ trust me.  _ Things would be a lot different if you hadn’t. And I know . . . I know the weight on your shoulders from the day with Peacemaker is  _ a lot _ . But it was an  _ accident _ . That gun’s, like, 100 years old!” Waverly pulled in a quick breath and let it out to calm herself down. “We’re all broken. We’re Earps, that’s our  _ number one quality _ . So please, just . . . don’t use it as an excuse anymore.” 

The line was quiet for a couple of seconds and Waverly was only sure she was still there because she could hear her breathing still. “. . . Waves. You don’t get it.”

“Don’t get  _ what _ ?” 

“Willa . . . She didn’t actually see it happen.”

Waverly’s brow furrowed. “Obviously. She made a whole case against you saying it was  _ on purpose _ .” 

“. . . She didn’t see it happen cause I made  _ sure  _ she wasn’t looking, Waverly.” 

The brunette flicked her eyes across her wall as her mouth hung open halfway. “Y- Wh- Nonna you  _ mur _ -” 

“Do you remember what happened the week before this happened?” Wynonna questioned. 

Waverly shook her head, even though she couldn’t see it. “No.”

“He was drunk.  _ Really  _ drunk. You got in his way so he chucked you down the  _ fucking  _ stairs. He didn’t push you, no, I’m saying he picked you up and  _ threw you _ . And if that wasn’t enough, when he got to the bottom, he kicked you to see if you were knocked out or not, and once he saw you were, he stomped on your already broken glasses and spit on your face,  _ laughing _ .  _ Right  _ in front of all of us.”

Waverly shook her head, clawing her nails into the arm wrapped in a python grip around her body as she slowly curled more into a ball. “. . . Why don’t I remember that?” She asked softly.

“Cause you hit your head  _ really  fucking  _ _hard_ , Babygirl.”

She shook her head, closing her eyes as she cupped one hand around Nicole’s neck and pressed her face into the side of it, trying to calm her breathing.  _ “Nonna.” _

“I’m sorry, Wave. I- I’ve lied to you for,  _ what? _ Ten years now. And I should-”

“ _ Stop _ ,” she mumbled. “I . . . I’m not upset about that, I don’t  _ care _ .” 

She let out a scoff, “Oh, so you’re fine with the fact that I intentionally murdered our father? That’s cool with you?”

“He deserved to die,” Waverly mumbled, barely comprehending the words coming out of her mouth before she was saying them at this point. “ . . . Before it was one of us.”

She heard Wynonna sniffle quietly. “That’s wh-why I did it. It was either  _ you  _ or  _ him  _ next. And, Babygirl, I  _ couldn’t  _ lose you. I  _ can’t _ lose you.” 

“Then come  _ home _ , Wynonna!” 

“But-”

“No  _ but’s _ !” Waverly huffed. “The only thing stopping you is literally  _ you _ .  _ You  _ left.  _ You  _ stayed away. So come  _ home _ and  _ stay  _ home. If not for _you_ then for _me.”_

“Waves . . .” The brunette closed her eyes and shook her head. She had pleaded with her many times before and it had never worked, so she knew this time would be no different. “I don’t know.” 

“ _ Wynonna,” _ she begged. 

The older one took a moment, and Waverly assumed she was  _ thinking _ , which was a plus. “Ok, look. I don’t know about the  _ staying part _ , but . . . I’m gonna try to come home to see you.”

Waverly’s eyes snapped open. “When?” 

“ _ Soon _ , Babygirl.”

“How  _ soon  _ is soon?” 

“I don’t  _ know _ . Maybe a few weeks, maybe a few . . . months?”

“ _ Wy _ .”

“Waverly, I wanna see you  _ just  _ as much as you wanna see me. I  _ promise  _ you that. And . . . And I’m gonna try. For you. Ok? I can’t promise  _ anything _ except that I’m gonna  _ try _ .” 

“Cross your heart?” She asked softly.

“Cross my heart.” Waverly heard the slight clinking of metal in the background. “I’m running out of coins for this  _ fucking  _ phone,” she grumbled.

The younger one swallowed the lump in her throat, leaning her head against Nicole’s shoulder. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too.  _ So  _ much, Dude.” 

Waverly wiped her face of tears. “We’re not done talking about the Daddy situation.”

“Ok,” she mumbled. “I’ll call you again soon and we can talk about it all you want. Maybe then I’ll have time to ask you how life’s going.” 

“Or we could save that for when you’re _here_?” Waverly offered. 

Wynonna let out a sigh, “Yea. We’ll save it. That means you need to go be fun or something so we  _ actually  _ have something to talk about. Maybe get laid-”

“ _ Nonna _ ,” she grumbled, cheeks going pink.

“Ok! Later, got it.” Waverly heard her smack the phonebooth a few times. “Alright, Babygirl. This things gonna cut. I love you, be safe, stop being boring, and  _ don’t  _ tell anyone what we talked about.” 

“I’m not  _ dumb _ , Wy. Remember?” 

“I know. You’re the Earp Genius.”

“Shut up,” she mumbled.

The older one chuckled. “Ok. I’ll talk to you later, yea?” 

“Yea. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” 

Waverly swallowed, “Be safe, ok?  _ Please _ .”

“I  _ will _ , Wave. I promise.”

“Ok . . . Bye, Nonna.”

“Bye, Babygirl.” 

Waverly waited for the sound of the line going dead to pull the phone from her ear, dropping her hands to her lap. Nicole ran her hand down her arm gently, speaking even gentler. “. . . Whaddya need, Baby?” 

Waverly slowly lifted her eyes to look at her, blinking a few tears out of her eyes. “I . . . Just- I want you here,” she mumbled barely above a whisper. 

Nicole nodded, pulling the phone out of her hand and setting it back on the nightstand. She leaned back against the pillows and let her curl into her side, wrapping an arm tightly around her. “I’ll be ‘ere as long as ya need me.” 

Waverly nodded into her chest and was quiet for a long while, the only sounds being the random shaky breathing spells she went through when her mind got the best of her. Nicole knew more than better to push her, so she was certainly not going to do that. Her finger started tracing patterns into her side, though, and that’s when Nicole looked down at her, feeling that she was getting ready to say something. Waverly met her eyes with a clenched jaw. “My sister killed my dad.  _ Purposefully _ .  _ Just  _ to keep me safe.” 

Nicole nodded slowly, running her fingers through her hair. “Some people make . . .  _ mighty  _ sacrifices ta protect t'e ones dey love.”

Waverly let out a shaky breath, relaxing her head back against her chest as she stared at absolutely nothing. “You can say that again.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***For those who didn't read***  
> Waverly speaks openly of some of the things that Ward did to her as a child to Wynonna, and Wynonna informs her of a very specific one that Waverly doesn't even remember because it was so bad. It happened a week before Ward was shot and it was the trigger that lead Wynonna into killing him. This is the first time Wynonna has ever admitted that she killed him purposefully.
> 
> So there's that.  
> Thoughts, comments, and suggestions are always welcome in the comments below.
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: @BiggerTinySword  
> Keep yourself updated on my crackheaded ass and find most of my opinions on the matter atm on there. Feel free to yell at me if you wanna there, too.


	14. I’m Gonna Puck Ya One In T’e Nose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gay panic and highness (with someone that's not Robin (well it is Robin, but it's also someone else))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends!  
> I kinda hate this chapter so if it sucks, sorry 'bout that. The one good thing I can say about it is that I think it's pretty funny aside from the wee bit of homophobia in the diner scene.

**Friday, October 22nd, 1993 6:31 AM**

With midterms in the last week of October, nerves were running high. Between study groups and tutoring sessions, there was hardly enough time to eat, let alone hang out with friends or anything else. Jeremy’d even shut down his flashcard business to help free up his already packed schedule after an unfortunate incident involving spilled white out. 

According to Robin, Waverly had been over to help Nicole study several nights of the two weeks prior despite helping her during lunch most days as well. 

“She’s grand ‘n all and I’m trilled she makes Nic so happy, but bloody ‘ell! I’m tired o’ not bein’ able to get into my _own_ gaff ‘cause o’ deir shiftin’ ‘n shite. She may be dere ta tutor, but she’s gettin’ something outta it, too,” he’d told Jeremy the fourth night they hadn’t been able to go back to Robin’s dorm until almost one in the morning because of Waverly and Nicole’s ‘study sessions’ that always sounded more like makeout sessions when they’d put their ears to the door to see if it was safe to enter. 

Friday morning, he found Robin sitting against the wall in the alley, his head tilted a bit as he tried to keep from falling asleep. Jeremy threw himself down next to him, resting his head on Robin’s shoulder and taking the hand not holding a joint in his.

“How’s yer anxiety holdin’ up?” Robin asked, thumb grazing over the skin of his hand. 

“Not at all,” Jeremy grumbled, scratching at his arm. 

Robin stuck the joint between his lips and forced Jeremy’s hand away from his arm. “Don’t do dat, Shorty. Hate seein’ ya scratchin’ yerself bloody.”

“Sorry…” Jeremy trailed, frowning and sitting on his hand. “Did you hear that Professor Gardner cancelled Extra Credit Hour because of the rain coming in?”

“Ya... a bloody shame dat is. I was lookin’ forward ta some time with ya without yer nose in one o’ yer textbooks.”

Jeremy smiled, lifting his head off Robin’s shoulder and kissing his cheek. “I could squeeze some time in for you if you really wanted me to.”

“Diner at midnight?” Robin asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Sounds nice,” Jeremy agreed. “Do you… uh, think Kennedy’ll be there?”

“Reckon he might be,” Robin said, taking a drag. “Seems like he’s never _not_ workin’.”

Jeremy thought for a second and nodded. “Oh…” 

Robin blew his stream of smoke towards Jeremy and took his hand. “What’s a’matta, Shorty? Ya don’t like Ken?”

“I don’t like that you call him _Ken_.”

Robin chuckled. “I tink ya might be a wee bit jealous.”

Jeremy wrinkled up his nose and scoffed a little. “I’m not _jealous_ , I’m just _worried_ that something happened between you two that I don’t know about.”

“Ya really pick up on t’e little tings like dat, don’t ya, Shorty?”

“So something _did_ happen between you two?” 

Robin smiled a little and kissed Jeremy’s cheek. “I ain’t gonna lie ta ya, but I _am_ gonna tell ya dat it ain’t nothin’ ya need ta be worried ‘bout. We’re jus’ friends and dat’s all we’re ever gonna be, ya?”

“Promise?” he asked, moving to leave a small kiss under the neck strap of Robin’s apron.

“I wouldn’t dream ‘o lyin’ ta ya, Shorty,” Robin agreed, tilting his head to give Jeremy better access to his neck. “So, yeah, I promise ya, dere ain’t nothin’ ‘bout Ken dat ya need ta be t’e least bit worried ‘bout when it comes ta me.” 

“Good,” Jeremy muttered against his neck. “Don’t want you choosing white me over me.”

“I would never,” Robin groaned, feeling Jeremy’s teeth drag his skin. “Yer way more interestin’ dan he is.”

“Then it looks like I don’t have anything to worry about,” Jeremy agreed, pulling away from his neck and watching him take a shaky drag and push the smoke from his nose a few seconds later. 

Robin shook his head but let out a soft laugh nonetheless. “Dat’s what I’ve been sayin’.” He held out the joint for Jeremy to take like he did every time he smoked around him. “Wanna hit? It’ll help with yer anxiety.”

“Why would I need that when I’ve got you around?”

The backdoor of the Muffin Man opened and Rosita stuck her head out. “Dr. Holliday just called in an order for twenty-one _dozen_ timbits for his morning classes. He’s gonna be here in an hour to pick them all up.”

“Seems like dat’s me cue, Shorty,” Robin mumbled, kissing Jeremy’s lips. “See ya in Astronomy, ya?”

“Of course.”

**2:58 PM**

“It’s bloody _white,_ ya dumb bitch.”

“You look into the sky, at the sun, and what color do you see?” 

“Ya can’t look at t’e actual _sun_ without goin’ blind, but if ya were ta look at it with some fancy-pants telescope or whatnot, it’d be white.” 

Jeremy shook his head, leaning back in his seat. He’d been convinced to start sitting in the front of the Astronomy class with Robin so that he could argue with Professor Gardener or throw things at her when her back was turned. He’d only _just_ started to regret that choice.

“Why on _Earth_ would it be white? It’s made of _fire_.”

Robin scoffed. “Well it ain’t on _Earth_ , now is it? That’d jus’ kill each ‘n every one of us.”

“You’re going to be late for your physics lab,” Jeremy grumbled.

“What color do you think the sun is, Socks?” Professor Gardener asked, crossing her arms.

“It’s white. The Earth has weird wavelengths that makes it appear yellow to the naked eye. The fact that you teach about space and you don’t know that is _extremely_ concerning.” He looked at Robin, shaking his arm. “Can we leave now?”

“I’ve got one more class anyways. It’s better if you two clear out,” Professor Gardener said, obviously not even phased by Jeremy’s insult. 

“Unfortunately for them,” Robin grumbled, grabbing his things and pulling Jeremy to his feet. 

Professor Gardener shook her head at that and moved to start collecting things for her next lectures. “I’ll see you two during midterms on… Wednesday, yeah?”

“Unfortunately,” Robin said again before they both turned to leave. When they entered the main area of the Science Hall, Jeremy continued towards the door, knowing he’d have to go halfway across the campus in just a couple of minutes. “Yer not gonna be late, are ya?”

He shrugged. “Not if I leave right now.” 

“Are ya upset dat I kept ya in dere late?” 

Jeremy smiled a little and fought back the urge to give Robin a kiss. “It’s just more time I get to spend more time with you.”

“I bloody love ya, Shorty,” Robin mumbled, rifling through his satchel 

Jeremy’s eyes widened in shock and it wasn’t half a second later that Robin looked up at him with similar shock plastered all over his face. “What?”

“What?” he repeated.

“Did you just-” 

Robin shook his head. “I said dat I- uh, definitely not what ya tink I said- don’t ya need ta get ter yer English class? Jolene’ll be pissed if yer late.”

Jeremy coughed in general discomfort and nodded, giving Robin an awkward smile as he slowly backed away. “Uh… yeah, I’m gonna go now.” 

“Sounds good. See ya later.” 

“Yeah…” he trailed, continuing to back away. “Tonight. I’ll- See you tonight.”

“Lookin’ forward ta it,” Robin said, stumbling towards the Physics lab. 

Jeremy winced, running his back into the door. He mumbled a quick, “Me too.” before pushing the door open and rushing onto the sidewalk towards the English building. 

**3:04 PM**

“You’re late,” Waverly grumbled as Jeremy slid into the seat closest to the aisle. “Where were you?”

“Astronomy ran late,” he lied.

Waverly turned to look at him with a suspicious look on her face. “Do I hear _gay panic_ in your voice?” 

“What?” Jeremy asked nervously, looking around to see if anyone had heard her while working on the partner projects that Jolene had assigned to them earlier that week.

“It _is_ gay panic!” she gasped. “What happened? Who is it?”

He shook his head, sinking back in his seat. “I don’t know _what_ you’re talking about, Waves.” 

“Oh, you know _exactly_ what I’m talking about, Jeremy Chetri. Quit lying to me.”

“I would _never_ lie about gay panic!” Jeremy gasped, pulling his part of the project out of his bag. 

Waverly narrowed her eyes at him for a couple of seconds. “...Does this have to do with, I dunno, the hot, tall, _gay_ waiter with glasses and way too many pairs of Star Wars socks that has _maybe_ hit on you _more than once_ while I have been present?” 

Jeremy nearly choked. _“First of all!_ There’s no such thing as _too many_ pairs of Star Wars socks. Second of all, Kennedy doesn’t flirt with me.”

“Hmm, _maybe_ you’re just saying that cause you’re already dating!” 

“Okay, ew,” he groaned. 

Waverly cocked her head to the side with an intrigued grin on her face. “That’s exactly what you’d say if you were trying to make me think that you _weren’t_ dating.” 

“Or maybe we just aren’t dating!” Jeremy took a few breaths and looked at her. “Do you want to help me with my gay panic or not?” 

“Of course I do!” 

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Alright!” 

“Alright!” she mimicked, leaning back in her own chair. “What happened?”

He thought for a moment of how to say that Robin had just said I love you and he had been too caught off guard to even think about saying anything back _especially_ since he wasn’t even sure that he felt like that about Robin yet. “Well… It’s just like- things were said. Not _things_ , per say. More _a_ thing. A few words. A few words were said.” 

Waverly gasped, moving closer to Jeremy. “Oh my god, did Kenny say I love you?” 

_“No!”_ Jeremy groaned. “Well… Partially?- No!” 

“What do you mean _partially_?” Waverly questioned. 

“I mean that it isn’t _Kennedy_ and whoever it is, _we’re_ not even dating … yet.” 

Waverly let out a huff, “Then who is it if it’s not Kennedy?” 

“I’m not telling you!” 

She let out a groan and rolled her eyes. _“Fine._ So _Mystery Man_ that you’re kinda sorta seeing told you that he loved you and you don’t feel the same way?”

Jeremy started to pick at his arm but she smacked his hand away and he let out a sigh. “It’s… I don’t _know_ if I feel the same way yet or not- I mean, we haven’t even been seeing each other for that long and besides, he didn’t even _mean_ to say it.”

“He didn’t mean to?” Waverly asked with a raise of her brow.

“No. I guess it kinda _slipped_?”

“Ahh.” She grabbed his hand. “Look. You don’t need to stress over this then. If he didn’t mean to say it then you don’t need to worry about it. Something like that kinda sorta happened with me and Nic at Friendsgiving.”

“Really?” Jeremy asked with a tip of his head. “Was it you or her?” 

“Her … She said something like _that’s one of the things I love about you_ or something like that-”

“But in her cute little Irish accent,” Jeremy added with a smirk.

Waverly giggled. “Yeah. With her cute little Irish accent-” She shook her head. “Anyway. Back to you and Ken- I mean, _Mystery Man_.” 

Jeremy rolled his eyes and picked up his pen, continuing on what he’d already done for the project. “I don’t want him to think that I didn’t appreciate what he said if he didn’t mean it yet because he might mean it eventually and it was _so_ cute, Waverly. And his _accent_ , oh my god, I can't even-"

 _"Accent?"_ Waverly butt in. 

Jeremy froze. "Oh yeah… his Texas- super southern with the howdy y'alls and all."

She shot him an unconvinced look and started to work on the project as well. "Sounds like you really like him… and his Texas, super southern accent." 

He felt his face flush and he looked away from her. "I do. A lot, actually." 

"Why is this the first I'm hearing of him then?" 

"It's your fault for not noticing the hickeys at Friendsgiving..." he grumbled.

"What?" she gasped.

"What?" he mimicked. 

Waverly shook her head with a tiny smirk as she looked back down at their project. “Jeremy Chetri… You are one naughty boy.” 

"Says _you_."

**11:43 PM**

After three study groups, a tutoring session, a nervous run to the dorms after realizing the time, a hurried shower, and some questionable clothing choices, Jeremy saw Robin leaning against the window in the front of the diner, illuminated by the lights shining inside. 

“Ya can’t possibly be dat cold, can ya, Shorty?” Robin asked when he noticed him approaching. 

Jeremy looked down at his gray t-shirt layered under a denim jacket and a patterned cardigan. “It’s chilly,” he mumbled nervously.

“I ain’t complainin’,” Robin clarified with a grin. “Ya look feckin’ adorable. ‘N I ‘ave ta say dose pants _do_ make yer arse look great.”

“They match the stripes on my sweater!” He pointed between the bright blue material of his jeans and the matching blue on his cardigan.

Robin smiled at his excitement. “And t’e blue looks lovely on ya.” 

A light blush crept up Jeremy’s face. “And I like your-” His eyes flickered over Robin’s red and gray patterned sweater, ripped black skinny jeans, and the combat boots he never seemed to not be wearing. “Knees- wait…”

Robin chuckled, pushing himself up from where he was still leaning against the window. “T’anks Shorty. Ya wanna head inside?” 

“Yeah… let’s do that.”

“Let’s do dat,” he agreed, pulling open the door for Jeremy and following him inside. 

Kennedy hopped off of the counter he was sitting on and grabbed his notepad. “Hiya, boys! Sit wherever you want to.”

They looked around at the completely empty diner, only occupied by them, Kennedy, and the sounds of someone in the kitchen. Robin led Jeremy to the booth in the corner that they always sat at. 

“Usual double burger with cheese, R?” Kennedy asked, still holding onto the two menus he’d grabbed.

Robin glanced at Jeremy whose face was nearly twitching in aggravation. “Tryin’ ta stay away from t’e meat, actually,” he said, grabbing both of the menus from Kennedy and handing one to Jeremy. “What’re ya gettin’, Shorty?” 

“Veggie pot pie with mashed potatoes, no gravy, and an ice water,” he said, handing the menu back to Kennedy and keeping eye contact with Robin as he did so. 

“I’ll take t’e same,” he mumbled, leaning back in the seat. 

Kennedy furrowed his eyebrows, obviously sensing some kind of weird energy between them. He took Robin’s menu and walked away without saying anything else. 

“Ya look like yer ‘bout ta blow yer top dere, Shorty.”

Jeremy sucked in a deep breath and leaned back as well, copying Robin’s calm mannerisms. “I’m fine.”

“Obviously.”

“Robin,” Jeremy whined, nudging his food under the table. “I’m fine.” 

He sighed. “Is dis ‘bout Kennedy again?”

“That’s none of my business,” Jeremy reminded, despite how much he really _did_ want to know what had happened between him and Kennedy. 

“So it’s ‘bout what happened after Astronomy, den…” Robin’s face twitched with a smile when Jeremy started to bite his lip, basically giving away that it was exactly what he was being so weird about. “Jer, don’t take it t’e wrong way when I say dat I didn’t mean ta say it. Like, don’t get me wrong, I love so many tings ‘bout ya and I’m sure dere _is_ gonna be a day where I’m gonna say it and I'm gonna mean it with me whole heart, I just don’t want dis ta count fer dat. Does dat make sense?” 

“Yeah! Definitely! For sure…” 

Kennedy set their ice waters on the table, doing his best not to interrupt whatever was happening.

“Are ya upset with me?” Robin asked nervously after Kennedy walked away. 

Jeremy hesitantly reached for his hand and Robin let him lace their fingers together. “No, I’m really relieved actually. Waverly had to talk me out some gay panic earlier.” 

“So ya finally spilled everyting ta Waves, aye?” 

“Well… not exactly. I think that she thinks that I’m dating Kennedy now which is kind of ironic-” 

“Now why’s dat ironic, Shorty?” Robin asked, one of his eyebrows raising a little as he spoke.

“Well because… uh,” Jeremy glanced at Kennedy who now had the headphones to his Walkman pulled over his ears while he danced behind the counter. “You and him obviously were like a…” 

Robin tilted his head to the side, waiting for an answer. “We were a what?”

“Well I don’t know what you were because you won’t tell me!” Jeremy whined, shaking Robin’s hand around. “I know that you call each other by nicknames all the time and you’ve got his phone number.”

“Hate ta break it to ya, Shorty, but I call lots o’ people by nicknames _and_ I have a lot o’ folk’s phone numbers,” Robin sighed, shrugging with a smirk. It was obvious that he was enjoying the jealousy that Jeremy was finally letting himself show. 

“But last week when he found us in the library he kept trying to put his arms around your shoulders!” 

“Ya do dat ta me all t’e time, what’s t’e problem?”

Jeremy stuck at his bottom lip. “But we’re like… you know.”

“We’re what?” Robin questioned, taking a drink of his water to hide the smile on his lips. 

“I don’t know… we go on kind of dates a lot and I spend the night with you every couple nights and then come see you on your breaks at work and well… other things too.” 

Robin felt that Jeremy was getting more worked up than he’d wanted so he brought Jeremy’s knuckles to his lips and kissed them gently. “Aye! I know. I know, Shorty. It’s alright.” He glanced over to make sure that Kennedy was still dancing to what was probably some bad disco music and looked back to meet Jeremy eyes. “Yer right, alrigh’? Kenny ‘n I had a wee bit o’ a fling when I got ‘ere but it was over long before I met ya, and it _ain’t_ never gonna happen again, I can promise ya dat.”

“Okay, that’s all I needed to hear. Thank you Babu,” Jeremy said, a soft smile gracing his face.

Robin sucked in a deep breath and pulled his hand back to run it over his face. “Yer killin’ me, Shorty.”

“What’d I do?”

He looked back over to see that Kennedy was collecting their food and leaned across the table. “Some o’ t’e tings ya do are just so bloody sexy.”

Jeremy’s skin darkened with a blush as Kennedy reached the table and set two plates down in front of them. 

“Can I get you anything else?”

“I tink we’re good, t’anks tough.” Robin looked down at his pot pie and pile of mashed potatoes and smiled wildly. “Mm… taters.” 

“Now if only I could get you to look at me the way you look at potatoes,” Jeremy teased. 

Robin shrugged. “I do dat when yer not lookin’. Makes ya awkward if ya catch me.” 

“Everything makes me awkward.”

“Yer not all dat awkward when we’re messin’ ‘round,” Robin said through a mouth full of said potatoes.

Jeremy grabbed the hand with the fork that Robin was using to shove potatoes into his mouth and shook his head. “You’re gonna choke.”

“I can handle me spuds, Shorty. I don’t have a gag reflex anyhow.” He chuckled when Jeremy’s eyes widened at that. “I can show you dat a lil’ more later on if ya want me ta.” 

“Babu…” Jeremy whined in a whisper, doing his best not to make eye contact with Robin while he smirked uncontrollably and continued to shove potatoes into his mouth. He rolled his eyes and nudged Robin’s shoe with his. “Lucky for you, I don’t have one either.” 

Robin tried to suck in a breath in surprise but breathed in potatoes instead. He burst into a coughing fit, spitting potatoes all over the table and causing Jeremy to almost double over in laughter. “Dis ain’t funny, Shorty.” 

“It really is.” 

He helped spread napkins over the splattering of potatoes, still laughing as he did so and Robin cleaned his sweater and jeans off, trying to laugh away the fact that his cheeks were red in embarrassment.

“Fuck,” Kennedy groaned from behind the counter. They all followed his line of sight through the window to three boys in varsity jackets stumbling down the sidewalk. “Hate to be a bearer of bad news, but it seems like the Rat Pack might be joining us tonight.”

Robin grimaced at the boys walking towards the diner. “Dat’s just lovely.”

“Who are they?” Jeremy asked, recognizing some of them to be on the school’s hockey team that his roommate played on. 

“They’re a bunch of frat boys who go to parties to get drunk and beat up guys they don’t like, and that includes guys like us,” Kennedy explained, fidgeting with the rainbow flag pin on his apron. “Lucky for me, after I stopped going to frat parties on Fridays and started working instead, they started coming in to get food when they got bored harassing freshman girls and gay guys.” 

“Drunk off deir arses, no less,” Robin grumbled, running a hand through his hair and watching them push through the front door, all chuckling about something that one of them had just said. 

“Oi, _Tinker Bell_!” one of them slurred towards Kennedy.

“Have a seat wherever,” he grumbled, grabbing his notepad and sticking his head into the kitchen to say something to the cook. 

“Oh _thank_ you, Your Majesty!” another chuckled, running a hand over his black, slicked back hair. 

"Good one, Blake," the third said, patting him on the shoulder. 

Kennedy reluctantly walked up to the booth they’d shoved their jock bodies into and asked for their drink orders, only to receive a slur of insults and his apron tugged at and thrown up in his face. 

“Can we leave?” Jeremy whispered.

Robin pulled his eyes away from the group for the first time since Kennedy had pointed them out and looked to Jeremy. His face was flushed and he was fidgeting with his bracelets. 

“Whatever you want, Shorty,” he said softly, moving out of the booth when Kennedy moved back behind the counter. “Ya gonna be alrigh’ if we take off?” 

“Don’t think I can handle myself against a few hockey jocks, R?” Kennedy asked, grinning a little bit despite what had just happened. 

Robin handed him some cash after he’d rung up their ticket. “Last time dey gave ya a bloody lip, so sorry if I’m a wee bit worried ‘bout them messin’ with ya again.”

“I’ll be fine,” Kennedy assured, reaching out to take Robin’s hand. 

Robin pulled awake from the counter before he could, though. “Keep t’e change, Mate. Tell t’e cook ta keep an eye on ya fer me, ya?” 

“Alright… thanks. Get Jeremy home safe, alright?” 

“Ya got it, Ken,” he said, smiling a little before turning back to the table where Jeremy was waiting, eyes glued to the table while he pulled at his bracelets. “Let’s get out o’ here, aye?”

They moved to leave the diner quickly, Robin forcing Jeremy behind him in an effort to make him feel safer. 

“Awe, are we making you two _uncomfortable?”_ one of the boys yelled at them. 

“Are the fairy boys _scared?”_ Blake cooed.

“What was dat?” Robin asked, pulling away from Jeremy and walking towards their table. 

“Robin, don’t!” Jeremy begged, reaching for his arm. 

Robin shook his head and rested his hands on their table. “No, no, no, I wanna know what dey said.”

“You heard us,” one grumble, pushing against Robin’s chest but he didn’t move an inch. 

“But I’d _love_ fer ya ta repeat yerself.”

The biggest of the boys, Blake, looked at the others and let out a growl of a laugh, standing up. “Listen here you Scottish twink-”

Robin pulled himself to full height, so tall compared to the jock that he had to look down at him to make eye contact. “I’m bloody _Irish,_ ya gobshite. Now if ya don’t leave me mates and I alone, I’m gonna puck ya one in t’e nose, aye?”

One of the jocks pulled the standing one back into the booth and chuckled lowly. “We’re just playing around, man. Don’t take it seriously, alright?”

“Yer bloody lucky I’m in a good mood,” he mumbled, walking away from the table towards where Jeremy _had_ been standing just moments before. 

“Jeremy took off towards the dorms, I think,” Kennedy told him, carrying out the drinks that the Rat Pack had ordered. “I don’t think he appreciated your badassness as much as I did.”

Robin groaned and pushed the door open, looking down the street both ways and not seeing a single person. “Shorty!” he called, walking in the direction of the dorms. “Where’d ya run off to?” 

“Babu…” Jeremy called from his spot between two of the buildings. Robin rushed towards him, wrapping him in a tight hug and burying his face in his shoulder. 

“Ya can’t just run off like dat, Jer. Ya scared t’e shite outta me.”

“I’m sorry… I don’t really like confrontation. I didn’t want to see you hurt anyone.” He looked up at Robin’s face, seeing his worry illuminated by the streetlights. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” 

Robin gripped Jeremy’s cheeks and kissed his forehead. “I didn’t mean ta scare ya neither. It just ain’t in me wirin’ ta let blokes like dat get away with talkin’ demselves arseways ta make someone else feel like shite.” He smiled a little, leaning closer to Jeremy’s face. “I do take it as a complement dat ya tink I woulda been t’e one ta hurt someone in dere.”

“Those jockstraps didn’t stand a chance,” Jeremy grumbled, leaning into Robin’s lips and pressing a hand to his cheek.

Robin pulled away quickly, taking both of Jeremy’s hands and then laying flat them on top of his spread palms to show that his hands were shaking uncontrollably. “Yer shaking, are ya sure yer alrigh’?”

Jeremy nodded. “I think I almost had an anxiety attack but I’m okay now. Maybe we should head back to the dorms though… Just to be safe.”

“Whatever ya want, Shorty.”

**Saturday, October 23rd, 1993 12:57 AM**

When they got to the dorms, both of them pressed their ears to the door to hear if Nicole was inside. 

“Showers runnin’,” Robin said, shoving his key into the door and opening it. 

“No, it’s- Wait, how did you hear that?” Jeremy questioned, realizing after the front door was opened that Robin was right and the shower was actually running. 

“Got me some good hearers,” he said with a grin. “Is yer roommate home?”

“Probably not.”

“Robbie?” Nicole called from the bathroom. 

He started digging around in his closet. “Yeah, Nic! Jer’s here, too!”

“Hey Nicole!”

“Hiya, Jer! Keepin’ Robbie’s neck clean?”

“Never!” 

Robin rolled his eyes. “What dat means, Nic, is don’t come out naked or nothin’,” he clarified. “He doesn’t wanna see yer white arse. Saves dat fer Waves.”

“When am I s’posed ta come out den?” she groaned, shutting off the water. 

“We’re headin’ out in a minute. I’ll prolly be gone fer an a couple hours or more, aye?”

“Aye.”

Jeremy laid out on Robin’s bed, watching Robin dig through the things on the shelf in his closet, then pulling out a glass pipe. He moved to the bedside table and pulled out an old first aid kit like the one that was in the Muffin Man and dug around inside of it, pulling out a couple of joints. 

“I’m takin’ t’e stash box, but I’m leavin’ ya a couple a joints.”

“Why don’t ya just take a couple o’ joints and a light?”

“Cause I’m takin’ me pipe.” There was a loud grunt and they took that as an okay. “Alrigh’, we’re headin’ out. Shorty’s numbers on me nightstand if ya need ta talk ta me.” 

“Be safe!” she called back before Robin dragged Jeremy out the door, first aid kit in hand.

They took the elevator to the sixth floor and made their way to Jeremy’s dorm, checking for any signs of his roommate before turning on the light and relocking the door. 

“Sorry about the mess… I let it go when my anxiety or depression get bad and with midterms next week…” Jeremy trailed, stripping his cardigan and jean jacket, and throwing them onto the pile of clothes that had been growing around his bed in the two week since Friendsgiving. 

“Don’t have ta explain yerself ta me.” Robin said, kissing the side of his face before making a spot on his bed and opening the first aid kit. He pulled out a lighter, a baggy of weed, and a grinder along with the colorful glass pipe.

Jeremy sat down next to him, watching him prepare the bowl. “You’re gonna smoke out of that?” 

“Well I’m not gonna drink outta it,” Robin chuckled, grinning as he started grind up enough for a bowl. 

“Well, I just- How’s it different from a joint?” 

Robin shrugged. “Well, fer one, it’s made outta glass.” 

“Robin…” Jeremy groaned. 

“I’m coddin’ ya, Shorty. It’s smooter dan a joint, doesn’t burn as much, I guess. It’s a wee bit harder ta use, but I don’t care much ‘bout dat.” 

Jeremy watched him pack it for a moment and caught himself chewing his lip as he thought. “Do you think I’d like it?” 

Robin’s eyes darted up to meet his and his lips twitched in a smile. “Really?”

“It’s just a question.”

“I tink ya would… Prolly won’t get high if ya do smoke t’ough. Not t’e first time at least.”

“You said that to Waverly too,” Jeremy reminded. 

Robin shrugged, packing the bowl full. “She’s an odd case.”

Jeremy stayed silent for a moment, watching Robin light the top of the bowl and take a drag from it, letting the smoke fall from his lips. “Wow, that’s _way_ hotter than a joint for some reason…” 

Robin chuckled, coughing a little. “Ya really wanna try it?”

“I think so.” 

“It’s not jus’ ‘cause I’ve been suggestin’ it ta ya? Ya wanna do it fer yerself?”

Jeremy nodded, crawling onto Robin’s lap and straddling his hips. He looped his arms around his neck and sighed, “I want to have a night where it’s just you and me without me worrying about midterms or getting anxious over everything that happened.” 

Robin dropped the lighter and rested his free hand on Jeremy’s hip. “Are ya sure, Shorty?”

“You’re gonna take care of me, right?”

“Always, but-”

Jeremy ran his hand up the back of Robin’s neck, fingers carding through his hair. “You ask me every morning if I want a hit, why’s this different?”

“It’s not, I’m jus’ makin’ sure dat didn’t make ya feel like ya should ‘cause ya only should if _you_ want to not because ya tink _I_ want ya to.”

“I want to,” he assured. “Just ease me into, okay?” 

Robin took a deep breath and leaned his head back into Jeremy’s palm. “Dere’s a lot o’ tings I’d like ta ease ya into.”

Jeremy pulled his hair. “ _Watch_ _it_.” 

“Yer not doin’ yerself any favors, Shorty,” he groaned. 

“You wanna teach me how to smoke or?”

Robin shrugged. “I don’t mind dis.”

“I’ll get off,” he warned.

“No…” Robin whined, gripping his hip a little tighter. “Ya got any water ‘round?” Jeremy pulled a large Batman water bottle off his night stand and shook it to show that it was over half filled with water. “Yer probably gonna need dat when ya start coughin’.” 

“You don’t cough a lot.”

He smiled a little, taking his hand off Jeremy’s hip to grab his lighter and light the top of the bowl again, taking another large hit. “I been smokin’ since I was tirteen, Shorty. I still cough a fair bit,” he said, releasing the smoke into Jeremy’s face.

“Does it burn?”

“Feels like inhalin’ spicy air.” 

“So it burns?” Jeremy said, obviously getting a bit nervous. 

“It ain’t gonna hurt ya,” Robin said reassuringly but frowned, seeing that Jeremy didn’t seem convinced. “How ‘bout dis, I’ll take t’e hit ‘n keep it in me mouth, den ya kiss me and I’ll breathe it into yours. Won’t be so intense and you’ll see what it tastes like ‘n all dat.” 

Jeremy’s face brightened a little and he smiled. “And I get to kiss you.”

“Dat’s jus’ a plus,” Robin said, kissing him gently. “Alrigh’ so Imma take a little hit and den when ya kiss me ya open yer mouth and breath all t’e way in, aye?”

“Alright.”

“Alrigh’.”

He took the pipe and lit it for just a moment before putting it to his lips again and taking a smaller drag than he had the previous times, filling his mouth with smoke and pulling the pipe away, gesturing for Jeremy to kiss him. When their lips met, he did what he was told and breathed in all of the smoke, pulling away quickly to see a small smirk on Robin’s lips. 

“Breath out.” 

Jeremy did, letting the little smoke there was out of his mouth, watching it appear and disappear in a cloud in front of him. They sat in silence for a moment, Robin letting him think for a while as he often did after he did something new. 

“It tastes gross,” Jeremy finally said. 

“Ya get used ta it,” Robin laughed, setting the lighter and the bowl down on the nightstand and taking Jeremy’s face in his hands and kissing him again. “Dat’s t’e first time dat I’ve ever t’ought someone was really sexy when dey smoked.”

Jeremy’s face burned red. “I can tell. I’m sitting on your excitement.” 

“Ya wanna have anoter hit?”

“I feel like you want me to have another hit,” he said, laughing and pecking Robin’s lips again. “But, I mean, if this is the reaction I get then I definitely want another hit.”

**3:24 AM**

After two bowls between them, most going to Robin, and a lot of making out, Jeremy wasn’t high and Robin was very turned on. 

“You’re weed doesn’t like me,” he groaned, laying his head on Robin’s chest. 

“I told ya dat ya probably _weren’t_ gonna get high dis time ‘round,” Robin said, kissing his forehead and trying to ignore the mild pain and discomfort he was feeling in his jeans.

Jeremy looked up to him, a deep frown on his face. “I just wanted it to work so bad.” 

Robin’s face dropped and his heart hurt from hearing the breaking in Jeremy’s voice. “If ya wanna, we can try dis again tomorrow night.”

“My roommate’ll probably be home tomorrow night.”

“Dat’s alrigh’. Nic’ll be gone from midnight til at least 2. Her and Waves are goin’ ta see t’e midnight showin’ of _T’e Return o’ t’e Livin’ Dead 3_ ,” Robin told him, saying the name of movie in a spooky voice. Jeremy laughed at this and Robin let out a small breath of relief. 

“Then we’ve probably got until at least 2:45 because I know Waverly, and Waverly doesn’t sleep much after scary movies. She made me sleep on the floor of her dorm for _three nights_ after we saw Candyman last year, so Nicole’ll probably have to hang with her until she falls asleep.”

“Dat’s just more time fer us,” Robin said, tilting Jeremy’s chin up and kissing him. “‘N ya know what? Even if me weed don’t like ya, I sure do.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes and forced back a laugh. “Do you want me to give you a hand job?”

“Do ya mind?” 

“Will you give me one later?”

“O’ course!”

**11:43 PM**

“Where is she?” Nicole groaned.

“Maybe ya should go find her,” Robin suggested, glaring at her from where he was laying on his bed.

She rolled her eyes. “Why’re ya so pissy? Trouble with Shorty?”

Robin shook his head. “Fer one, ya don’t get ta call him dat, ‘n two, I’m pissy ‘cause yer still here derefore he’s not here and I’m still wearin’ me trousers.” 

There was a sudden knock on the door. “Bub, c’mon! We’re gonna be late!” 

Nicole stood, grabbing her keys and wallet. “Ew, Robbie- Comin’, Love!”

“Have fun, don’t come back.”

Nicole scoffed, “Dat’s rude.”

“I’m keepin’ yer eyes safe from seein’ Shorty’s dick in me mouth.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “He’s lettin’ ya give him blowies?”

Robin’s face flushed red. “Well, no, but if he had, I wouldn’t want ya ta see it.” 

“I s’pose I appreciate dat,” she said, slapping his bare chest and walking out the door.

“Bloody bitch,” he grumbled as he rubbed the quickly forming red hand print and reached for the phone, typing in Jeremy’s phone number.

“What the fuck do you want?” a gruff voice called from the other side of the line. 

“Is Jeremy dere?” Robin asked with a hint of confusion. 

“Who is it?” a girl asked in the background. 

There was a quick exchange between the guy who’d picked up the phone and the girl who was with him and a groan before the line went dead and Robin was left without a clue of where Jeremy had gone, and mildly disturbed by the fact that he’d interrupted Jeremy’s roommate having sex. 

The door handle jiggled a little, confirming it was unlocked before someone knocked on the door. Robin stood, opening the door to find a very sheepish looking Jeremy. 

“Is Nicole gone?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah she jus’ left.” Robin said, letting him into the room. “I jus’ called yer room and I tink yer roommate picked up. Sounded like he was havin’ sex-”

Jeremy shook his head, grimacing. “I was taking a nap while I was waiting for you to call and then I woke up and him and this girl were-” he paused, looking like he might throw up. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” 

Robin rubbed Jeremy’s back, leading him to the bed and letting him sit down. “Ya look like yer ‘bout ta pass out or trow up.” 

“I’m okay… I just really want to remove those images from my brain forever.”

“I don’t know if I can remove ‘em but I can take yer mind off o’ it,” Robin said, kissing his temple and moving to the drawer where he kept the first aid kit. “Ya still wanna try dis again?” 

Jeremy nodded, shifting so he was sitting in the middle of Robin’s bed. “Think it’ll work this time?”

“It’s more likely dan not,” he said, throwing himself onto the bed and staring to grind up the first bowl of weed. 

“What happened to your chest?” Jeremy asked, running his fingers over the large red hand print in the center of Robin’s chest.

“Nic slapped me when she left as a partin’ gift.”

“That’s nice of her,” Jeremy chuckled awkwardly, grabbing one of the pillows and holding it in his lap. The fake smile he’d produced quickly fell off his face and he watched Robin work while his mind drifted elsewhere.

Robin frowned and sat up. “Is dere somethin’ ya wanna talk ‘bout?”

“No- well… No.” 

“Jeremy…” 

Jeremy flinched a little, looking at Robin in distaste. “I don’t like that.”

“I didn’t like it neither,” Robin agreed, seeming to be equally uncomfortable after saying ‘Jeremy’ instead of Jer or Shorty. “But I do wish ya’d talk ta me ‘bout what’s on yer mind.”

There were several seconds of silence before Jeremy even opened his mouth and even then, nothing came out. Robin sighed and put the freshly packed pipe to his lips, lighting it and taking a long drag before passing it to Jeremy for him to do the same.

Jeremy did the same that Robin had, coughing a lot more though. He took a drink from the glass that was on Robin’s bedside table and then thought for another moment. “...I saw Kennedy today.” 

“Was dat what was weighin’ on yer mind, Shorty? Dat ya hung out with Kenny while I wasn’t with ya?”

“He has a black eye.”

Robin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Did ya ask how he got it?”

“No, like I said, I just saw him. He waved at me like nothing was wrong, but… his face was so swollen that he wasn’t wearing his glasses and I almost didn’t recognize him,” Jeremy explained, his voice cracking. “Do you think we did that to him when we left last night?”

“We didn’t do nothin’ ta him, Shorty,” Robin assured, taking Jeremy’s hand. “Kenny’s a troublemaker. He was probably actin’ like nothin’ was wrong ‘cause he started t’e fight ‘n jus’ didn’t win. Knowin’ him, he had a good time no matta what happened.”

“He had the shit beat out of him.”

Robin shrugged, moving to light the bowl again. “And I’m sure he found it amusin’.” 

“I just feel bad.”

“I know ya do,” he sighed, brushing his thumb over Jeremy’s cheek and then passing him the bowl. “Ya’ve got a great heart ya know dat?” 

Jeremy shrugged, taking a drag and holding it in for a moment before blowing the smoke into Robin’s face like he always did when he was trying to get Jeremy horny at inappropriate times. “I don’t know how you make that look attractive.”

Robin tore his eyes from Jeremy's lips and gave him an awkward smile. “I tink yer doin’ just fine yerself, Shorty.”

“Oh?” Jeremy teased, taking another drag while Robin watched him intently. 

“Better slow down or yer gonna be too high ta function.” 

“I’m fine,” he said, releasing a cloud of smoke and slipping into another coughing fit. 

Robin handed him the glass of water and pat his back, taking the pipe and the lighter from his hands and setting them on the nightstand. “Let’s jus’ see how dis makes ya feel, aye?” Jeremy nodded, sipping the water and resting his head on Robin’s shoulder. “Can I ask ya something, Shorty?”

Jeremy tilted his head up to look at Robin. “I suppose.”

“I don’t want ta worry ya or nothin’, I’ve jus’ been tinkin’ ‘bout dis a lot ‘cause we’ve been seein’ each other almost everyday fer weeks now and it shoulda been brought up a while ago, I jus’ didn’t tink it was dat important at t’e time-”

Jeremy picked his head up and shot Robin a nervous look. “Babu… what’s going on?” 

Robin took his hand and kissed his knuckle. “I feel so daft fer never askin’ ya dis before. It’s dat… well, I really wanna know yer favorite color.”

“Robin!” Jeremy scolded, shoving his chest and looking away from him when he broke into a fit of laughter. “You scared me!” he whined, crossing his arms.

“Shorty…” Robin groaned, shaking Jeremy’s arms to try and get his attention but he didn’t move his gaze. “Baby, please don’t ignore me.” 

Jeremy’s eyes darted to meet his and his face slowly broke into a smile. “You can’t do that when I’m trying to be mad at you.”

“Can’t do what?” Robin asked, running his fingers down Jeremy’s sides.

“You called me baby.”

“Is dat against t’e rules?” Robin questioned, his eyebrow cocking up and a subtle smirk making its way onto his lips.

Jeremy nodded. “Oh most definitely.”

“Oh my bad,” Robin chuckled, quickly pushing Jeremy onto his back and crawling on top of him. “Can’t ignore me like dis, aye?”

“I could try.”

“Are ya gonna?”

Jeremy lifted his head to catch Robin’s lips with his and kissed him roughly, one hand running up his back and into his hair as he did so. “No, definitely not.”

“Ya didn’t answer me question.” 

“Oh you mean you’re very important question of what my favorite color is?” Jeremy snorted.

Robin nodded with a grin. “It’s super important.”

“My favorite color’s mauve.”

“I’m not sure what dat means but it sounds so fecking adorable when it comes outta yer mouth,” he smiled, kissing Jeremy again. “Mave, what’s dat look like?”

“ _Mauve_ is a shade of, like, a pale purpley pink.”

“Den why don’t ya jus’ say purpley pink? Dat’s a whole lot easier ta say.” 

“I used to say my favorite color was pale purple and people would make fun of me for being girly, but if I say mauve, they don’t know what that means so it doesn’t matter,” Jeremy explained. He caught a look of sadness or pity slip across Robin’s features and he forced a smile. “Also Delia Deetz spray painted it on a wall in Beetlejuice, which is one of my favorite movies, so who can complain?” 

“Ya know, I ain’t seen dat,” Robin admitted.

Jeremy gasped. “Get your life in order!” 

“I’ll work on dat one fer ya.”

“Good,” he said, smiling. “Do I get to ask you a question now?” 

Robin nodded, watching Jeremy’s face to see what kind of question he was planning to ask. “Anyting ya want, Shorty.” 

“Anything I want?” 

“Anyting.”

Jeremy shot him an evil grin and ran a hand through his hair. “What kinda conditioner do you use? Because your hair is _so_ fucking soft.” 

“Yer evil,” Robin groaned, letting Jeremy tug at his hair. “And Nic’s ol’ lady makes her own shampoo, conditioner, soap ‘n all dat. I mean, with so many kiddies runnin’ ‘round, it makes it a hell of a lot cheaper. She sends Nic ‘n I care packages every month or so with wee bottles o’ it, so I try ta put it in every week.” 

“That’s really sweet,” Jeremy cooed.

“It is, ain’t it?” he agreed. “But I am quite sure she ain’t sendin’ me conditioner ta make it easier fer ya ta run yer hands t’rough me hair, Shorty.”

“Are you complaining?”

“Never!... Fuck.” 

Jeremy laughed, letting go of the fist full of hair that he’d grabbed. “It’s your question.”

“What was yer first impression o’ me?”

“That you were tall, from New York, and _very_ scary.”

Robin laughed at this. “Ya thought I was scary?”

“You yelled at me in a scary Brooklyn accent and are also seven inches taller than me, almost nine with your boots.” 

“Now look at us.”

“Now I pull your hair and make you come through your pants,” Jeremy teased.

Robin shook his head. “Weed’s kickin’ in.”

“Who says?”

“Yer bein’ too ballsy. Means yer anxiety ain’t as bad.”

“Maybe I’m just comfortable with you,” he argued.

“If ya weren’t normally comfortable with me ya wouldn’t let me wank ya off, Shorty.”

Jeremy forced a frown. “Okay that’s very true. It’s just- I just don’t _feel_ high.” 

“How would ya even know if ya feel high or not? Ya’ve never been high before.”

“I just thought I’d feel different.” 

Robin smiled a little at this. “I tink it might be dat ya jus’ feel normal ‘cause it’s making ya less anxious.”

“Does that mean I’m less annoying?” Jeremy asked.

“Bold of ya ta assume yer ever annoying,” Robin said, kissing him softly. He felt Jeremy smile into the kiss and then deepen it all in a matter of moments. His body arched up into Robin’s and he groaned into his mouth before pulling away. 

“Is it my question?”

Robin sighed but nodded nonetheless. “Hit me with it.”

He thought for a moment and then laughed. “I can’t ask that.”

“Well now I’ve gotta know!” Robin urged.

“I will next round,” he said, grinning. “Uhm… What’s your body count?”

Robin face dropped, turning red faster than Jeremy had ever seen it. “Oh, Shorty, I don’t wanna upset ya.” 

“C’mon…” Jeremy teased. “It can’t be that bad.”

“It ain’t good, dat’s fer sure…” he trailed. “Not somethin’ I’m proud of. I mean, I only ever been in three real relationships and _one_ was with Nic’s ex girlfriend, but dose definitely ain’t t’e only people I’ve slept with.”

Jeremy pushed on Robin’s chest, forcing him to sit up and crawling into his lap. “Whatever you tell me isn’t going to change my opinion of you, Babu. After all, the higher it is, the more experienced you are, right?”

Robin shook his head, laughing. “Why do I get t’e feeling dat t’e higher ya get, t’e hornier ya get?”

“Wanna test it and find out?” Jeremy asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Little bit, yeah,” Robin said, grabbing the pipe and handing it to Jeremy.

Jeremy took it from him and leaned back. “Answer my question first.”

“Jer…” 

“Babu…” Jeremy mimicked. “Okay, statistically, men between the ages of 18 and 30 have had roughly 14 sexual partners, but I'm assuming you had sex before you were 18, therefore raising that number. There’s higher alcohol intake consistently seen in Ireland, leading to more drunken nights at gay bars. You’ve only had a couple somewhat long term relationships which opens the time to jump between partners up a lot more, and that’s assuming you weren't sleeping around while in relationships, which I don’t see you doing. With all that considered _and_ the fact that you believe you've got a higher than average body count, I'd say that you're body count realistically falls somewhere between 18 and 50. Possibly higher, but with a couple months in military training where there were, more likely than not, only a few gay guys out and around you limiting your options in that time, I say not likely." 

Robin blinked at him for a long couple of seconds before finally speaking. "Why t'e feck do ya know all dat?" 

"My brain is full of all kinds of useless information that I have a really hard time forgetting. Also, I’ve read all the Sherlock Holmes stories way too many times and I like to think that I _am_ him sometimes." 

"Shite, yer brain is so bloody attractive," Robin groaned, kissing Jeremy roughly. 

"That's the first time anyone's ever said to me," Jeremy said into the kiss, blushing slightly. "You also didn't tell me if I was right or not." 

"19," Robin confirmed. "But hearin' ya say all dat makes me feel loads better 'bout it. I don’t want ya ta ever worry ‘bout gettin’ sick ‘cause o’ me neither ‘cause, at me pa’s request, I get tested fer AIDS ‘n all dat every six or more.”

Jeremy lit the pipe and put it to his lips, muttering, “For the record, I was never worried,” before blowing the smoke into Robin’s face and handing him the pipe. “My Oxytocin levels with you… outrageous!”

“Dat’s da trust one, aye?”

“You remember!’ Jeremy said happily.

Robin pushed a breath of smoke out his nose, immediately making Jeremy more aroused. “All t’e tings ya tell me are important, Shorty.”

“It’s your question.”

“It is, innit?” Robin took another drag while he thought. “Alrigh’, ya got any toys?”

“You mean like dildos?”

Robin snorted a laugh. “Well I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout Barbies.” 

“Well… I mean I’ve got a dildo but I never use it ‘cause I’m scared of my roommate walking in on me.” 

“So what yer sayin’ is dat yer tight?” Robin teased, wiggling his eyebrows. 

“Are you implying that you’re not?” he retorted.

Robin put his hands up in defense. “If ya saw me collection, ya’d probably jump ta dat conclusion.”

“ _Collection_?” Jeremy repeated in shock. “You can’t say you’ve got a collection of toys and then not show me.” 

“Why? Ya want me ta use one on ya?”

“Won’t know until you show me.”

Robin shook his head, moving from underneath Jeremy and leading him to the dresser. He pulled open the bottom drawer to reveal dozens of dildos, cockrings, strap ons, buttplugs, vibrators, anal beads and everything in between. 

“Nic ‘n I… _share_.” 

“You _what_?” 

“Don’t worry, we clean ‘em real good when we’re done. Also da strap ons are all hers ‘n da butt stuff is fer me.” 

Jeremy nodded, his eyes wide as he took in all of the things in the drawer. “Good to know?”

“I mean, might be important fer ya ta know when one’s in ya, aye?”

He slapped Robin’s chest, wrinkling his nose. “Not anytime soon, Babu.”

Robin grinned and rested his hands on Jeremy’s hips. “I know, Shorty. Don’t ya worry ‘bout dat now. I really wanna hear dat question ya promised me earlier.” 

“Oh… I was kinda hoping you’d forget about that.” 

“Lucky fer ya, da tings ya tell me are important.”

Jeremy groaned. “How _dare_ you use your own sweet words against me!” 

Robin pecked his lips. “Dat’s one o’ me specialties. Now cough it up, Shorty.”

“...I wanna know if you think I’m more attractive that Kennedy.” 

“Wit or witout a black eye?” He let out a deep laugh, holding Jeremy where he was when he tried to push him away in fake annoyance. His hands slipped down to grip Jeremy’s ass and he picked him up easily, walking them to the wall and slamming Jeremy’s back against it. “I tink yer t’e most attractive man I’ve ever met, Jer.”

“Even over Kennedy?”

 _“Especially_ over Kennedy.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt really weird talking going into Robin's body count without ever addressing the fact that the 90's was the peak of the AIDS epidemic so I decided to add it in because it is a super important part of gay history.
> 
> Alsooo, a chapter in the near future may be the first chapter we've written while in the same state which if very exciting. (If you're confused we've always lived in different states with different family members despite being close in age (Cause MeTH!))
> 
> Anywho drop a comment if ya wanna, tell me your favorite thing about me laddies so far.


	15. Dis Jacked Bumblebee is Offerin’ Ya a Piggyback Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet a certain Dr. N, and he has some not so good news for Nicole.
> 
> Also WayHaught does some sleeping together and NOT in that way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy  
> This chapter is boring but it's cool. I think y'all will like it though so that's good.  
> Have a good read y'all...Hope you like sad Nicole.

**Tuesday, October 26th, 1993 6:23 AM**

The past two weeks had been full of stress and studying for pretty much every single student at the university, and now that midterms had officially begun the day before, it was worse. Nicole, Waverly, Robin, and Jeremy, along with the rest of the gang, had been helping one another out as much as they could in order to try and relieve some of the stress, but it hadn’t really done much. 

Waverly was still working through everything she had heard from Wynonna on top of it all. She was honestly surprised that Nicole hadn’t up and ran the _second_ she learned that she was 100% fine with the fact that her sister had murdered their father. Despite being surprised, she was also _beyond_ happy after getting the small taste of what her childhood had been like. The redhead was pretty much the only thing that had kept her sane since she talked to Wynonna, and she couldn’t be more thankful for her. 

The brunette had still been a little on edge because Wynonna hadn’t called her back again, though. She had been anticipating at least one more within a week since they talked, but now it had officially been two and she hadn’t heard a thing. Deep down, she wasn’t surprised. That was usually what would happen. She’d promise something and never end up going through with whatever it was. Waverly had been let down too many times to count, so it hardly stung anymore. 

Luckily, most of it had slipped her mind when her first midterm came around the day before and she honestly felt really good about it. She had always been good at English, though, so that class was never one of the ones she worried about. 

“Why’re you up so damn early?” Chrissy grumbled from under all her blankets. 

“Cause I have to help Dr. Holliday before my Cultural History midterm at 8,” Waverly said through a yawn as she tucked her neutral-toned striped shirt into her high-waisted black jeans, tightening the belt. 

“I don’t even know why you signed up to be a TA. This is bullshit, wakin’ me up at the plumber’s crack of dawn.”

Waverly cocked a brow, looking up at her in the mirror as she pulled her hair up in a high pony. “I don’t think that’s the-” 

_“I don’t care!”_ Chrissy groaned. “Get out of here so I can go back to sleep.” 

The brunette let out a huff, walking over and grabbing her backpack off her bed before heading for the door. “Good luck in Mass Media,” she called as she headed out, hearing a grunt in response before the door closed. She rolled her eyes and shook her arms to let the long, baggy sleeves of her shirt fall over her hands, dropping one to the rail of the stairs as she went down both flights. 

She turned the corner, noticing how her eyes drifted towards Nicole’s dorm by themselves. She slowed to a stop, picking at her lip with her thumb for a second before deciding to walk over and see if she was up yet. 

If she was, yay for her; if she wasn’t, she got morning cuddles, so really it was a win-win.

Waverly gave the door a light knock, squinting hard enough to recognize that there was Journey playing from inside. 

“Aye, Love!” She heard shouted from in the dorm.

Her brows shot right up and she pushed the door open, flicking her eyes around before they landed on the redhead on the floor. Her cheeks immediately flushed dark when she realized as to _why_ she was on the floor, watching her smile up at her as she did some crunch twists, using an English and Physics textbook as a weight to hold out in front of her. “How’d you know it was me?” Waverly questioned, shrugging her backpack off and setting it on the floor. 

“Yer knock’s special, Baby,” Nicole said through a breath. 

“Is it?”

“It is.” She let out a sigh of relief, stopping and dropping the books beside her, flopping back to lay on the floor.

Waverly collapsed onto her bed, grabbing one of her pillows and hugging it to her chest after flipping to face her, tracing her eyes down her sweaty torso that was _very_ exposed due to her lack of shirt. “So . . . What’re you doin’?”

Nicole rolled her head to look at her with a chuckle, “What’s it look like I’m doin’?” 

“Ok, _duh._ But since when do you wake up at six in the morning to work out?”

The redhead sat up, leaning back against the nightstand and grabbing the water bottle off of it. “I usually don’t cause I work out ‘fore bed, but I was feckin’ _knackered_ come me bedtime after yesterday’s tests ‘n like, so ‘ere we are.”

Waverly let out a hum as a smirk graced her lips, flicking her eyes over her abs and the one bicep not covered by the compression sleeve again. “Well, I mean . . . if you started doing _this_ every morning, I’d _definitely_ always be waking up early to come to the gun show.”

Nicole’s cheeks went red and she shook her head, taking one last drink of water before setting it beside her and leaning forward onto her hands to get into a plank, beginning to rock out some push-ups with ease. “ _Unfortunately_ fer you, t’e gun show was already planned ta end after dis set.” 

_“Noo,”_ Waverly whined. 

Nicole let out a huff with a laugh. “I’ve gotta get ready at some point today.” 

“But . . .” Nicole looked towards her with a playful glare. She let out a groan, _“Fine.”_ Waverly continued to watch her for another minute, eyes tracing over her again before landing on her compression sleeve. Her brow furrowed and she sat up. “Isn’t your shoulder messed up?” 

“Indeed, it is.” 

“So . . . Doesn’t that hurt?” 

The redhead fought through three or four more before dropping to her stomach with a heavy breath. “It does somewhat, ya. But t’e only way ta get it better is ta strengthen t’e muscles in it, so dat’s what I’ve been doin’.” She rolled over and sat up, hooking her arms around her knees as she looked towards her. “I’m nowhere _near_ where I was before all dis happened, but I’m gettin’ closer every day- even if I never do get back dere, which I know I won’t.” She shrugged but tipped her head when Waverly’s face saddened. “Aye.” She pushed herself to her feet and sat on the edge of the bed. “Ain’t no need ta look at me like dat, Wave. I’m fine jus’ t’e way I am.” 

“I know you are,” she mumbled. “It’s just . . .”

“Ya wish I could be good as new?” Nicole questioned, running her thumb over her hand when she grabbed it. 

“Not cause I don’t _like_ how you are, I just . . . wish it’d go away so you didn’t hurt anymore.”

The redhead let out a sigh, giving her hand a squeeze. “Fer a while, I was t’e same way. I jus’ wanted ta be better, but den I realized it ain’t dat easy. Dere was no point in wishin’ ‘n hopin’ fer somethin’ I knew was never gonna happen.” 

Waverly chewed at her lip with a slow nod, leaning back against the wall. “I guess you’re right.”

Nicole smirked, leaning towards her and pressing a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth. “I’m always right, Dear.” The brunette let out a loud huff and went to wack her but the redhead jerked away from her with a snort, “Aye!” 

“You’re annoying,” she grumbled. 

“It’s one o’ me specialties,” Nicole smiled, and Waverly rolled her eyes. “So. What’ brings ya ta me gaff?”

The brunette raised her brows in realization that she hadn’t established as to _why_ she was there yet. “Uh . . . I dunno. I guess I just missed you?” 

The redhead smiled softly. “I missed ya, too, Love.” 

Waverly smiled with a blush, twisting a string from the pillow in her lap around her finger. “I have to be at Dr. Holliday’s at seven . . . You can come to if you want- But if you don't want to, you d-”

Nicole dropped her hand to her thigh, getting her to stop rambling. “I’d love ta come.”

The brunette did a cute little happy bounce and clapped her hands. “Yay!” 

Nicole pouted her lip, but pushed off the bed. “Do I got time ta shower t’e mank off me first?” 

Waverly leaned forward and checked the time on the alarm clock, raising a brow as she looked towards her. “If you make it quick.” 

The redhead grinned, rushing around the bed and pulling some clean clothes out of her dresser and closet before heading to the bathroom. “Dat I can do.”

**6:49 AM**

“You’re my _favorite_ bumblebee,” Waverly hummed, beaming up at the redhead as they walked into the history building. 

“Would ya quit makin’ fun o’ me?” Nicole pouted. 

“But you _are_ ,” Waverly giggled, pulling at the sleeve of her yellow denim button-up that just so happened to be hanging over a black t-shirt and black jeans. 

The yellow and black striped beanie _and_ socks probably weren’t helping her case too much either.

“Noo,” the redhead whined. Waverly let go of her sleeve with another giggle, leading her towards Dr. Holliday’s room. “Actually, ya mind if I head ta Nedley’s room fer a minute?”

“What d’you need there?” The brunette questioned. 

“He told us yesterday dat we were free ta stop by ‘n pick up our graded tests dis mornin’, so I wanna check me Philosophy one.”

Waverly glanced down at the watch on her wrist, looking back up at her. “I can come with if you want? I don't have to be here until sevenish technically.” She turned towards the door, looking through the window on it. “I don’t think he’s even in there yet.”

Nicole nodded with a smile. “Why, let’s go den.” 

The two headed towards the other side of the building, obviously _way_ too happy for this early in the morning. Nicole was marveling at the fact that Waverly was short enough to climb up on top of the thick window sill and still be able to stand up straight without her head touching the top while she walked along it because when _she_ did it, she practically had to be a hunchback to fit.

“Yer too tiny fer me, Wave,” the redhead chuckled, looking up at her as she walked across the window sill again when they reached the next line of them.

“Maybe you’re just too big?” She offered with a tip of her head, running her finger along the glass of each window she passed. 

“Waverly Earp, are ya callin’ me fat?” Nicole asked with a tut, turning towards her and putting her hands on her hips.

“No!” She shifted towards her. “You’re just _really, really_ tall and _really_. . .”

“Fat?” 

_“Jacked.”_

Nicole raised her brows, smirking slightly at how red the brunette’s face got after the word came out of her mouth. “Do ya happen ta be sayin’ dat jus’ cause ya watched me work out fer about 10 minutes dis mornin’?”

Waverly swallowed as flashes from it flickered back through her mind. “I mean, I _wasn’t._ I don’t need to see you half naked to tell that you’re . . . yea, jacked.”

“Oh ya?” Nicole took a few steps towards her and crossed her arms as she looked up at her, keeping a smile down. “How can ya tell?” 

The brunette glared at her. She knew what game she was playing and she did _not_ appreciate it. “Well . . .” She pulled her eyes from her face, sliding them down and tracing across her shoulders “For one, your shoulders are, like, _18 feet_ wide.” Waverly let her eyes continue down. “And all of your shirts _barely_ fit around your arms. Plus you just always have that power stance.” 

Nicole raised a brow with a chuckle, looking down at herself. “What’s dat supposed to mean?” 

“It’s just how you hold yourself all the time. You’re always standing up straight, feet apart, sometimes with your arms crossed like that or they’re behind your back.” She shrugged a little. “It’s hot.” 

The redhead licked her lips and shook her head, dropping her arms to her sides. _“Well.”_ She spun around and looked over her shoulder at her. “Dis jacked bumblebee is offerin’ ya a piggyback ride.”

Waverly giggled, leaning down a little and looping her arms around her neck before sliding onto her back when she leaned forward a bit. “We got in trouble the last time we did this,” she smirked as Nicole jumped a little to resituate her before continuing down the hallway, thinking back to Friendsgiving.

“Cause _you_ were whisperin’ dirty lil tings in me ear,” Nicole replied, turning a corner. “Which, fer t’e record, I _did_ appreciate.”

 _“I_ was . . . inebriated.”

“Dat’s yer excuse, aye?”

Her face went pink and she pat one of Nicole’s cheeks a couple times. “C’mon, Horsey, giddy-up.”

“If yer expectin’ me ta start gallopin’, I’m afraid yer gonna be _fiercely_ let down.” 

Waverly let out a laugh, and Nicole shook her head, continuing down the hall to Nedley’s room. She let go of one of the brunette’s legs and pulled the door open. “Aye, Nedley!” 

“Hi, Nedley!” Waverly giggled as Nicole hoisted her up again.

The older man looked up from the stack of papers he was sorting through and gave her a smile. “Good mornin’, girls! What are y’all two doing here so early?”

“I wanted ta check my out me midterm grade,” Nicole said as she walked them a couple of steps through the door. 

The professor tipped his head, eyes flickering back to Waverly. “Well, if we’re gonna be discussing your grade, I’m afraid _Ms. Waverly_ needs to wait in the hall.”

 _“Noooo!”_ She whine, shoving her bottom lip out in a pout that she knew wouldn’t work with him after all these years. 

_“Yesss,”_ he mimicked as he pulled Nicole’s scantron out of the pile in front of him. 

The redhead let out a little laugh as she dropped Waverly to her feet, turning towards her pout. “Ya heard t’e man. Out with ya.”

Waverly let out a groan of defeat, _“Fine.”_

Nicole gave her a small smile, pushing the door open for her. “We ain’t gonna be long, I promise.” 

“Can you give me a piggyback ride back, too?” She asked softly with the same puppy dog pout she had given to Nedley.

She nodded with a smirk. “Couldn’t say no to a face like dat.” Waverly rolled her eyes, so Nicole shot her a wink as she closed the door behind her, walking over to Nedley. “Alrigh’.” 

He called her over with his finger as he moved towards the front row of the lecture hall. “C’mere.” She followed, sitting on top of one of the desks as he leaned back against the rail of the stairs. “So . . .” He crossed his arms as he stared down at her. 

She furrowed her brow. “So . . .?”

Nedley let out a sigh, “You _cannot_ tell her I told you this, but . . . I’m sure you’re aware that my daughter has _quite_ the mouth on her, yes?” 

Nicole pulled in a breath with a nod. “I am, yes.” 

“Then I’m sure that it won’t be too shocking to you that she, uh, accidentally let it _slip_ to me about what’s goin’ on between you and Ms. Earp over Thanksgiving break.” 

The redhead’s eyes widened as she stared at him with a mixture of fear and shock. It quickly morphed into anger and she felt her entire body tense up, knowing damn well she was going to break Chrissy’s skinny little neck if she ruined the best relationship she had _ever_ had with any teacher by _outing_ her _and_ her own best friend. 

Nedley put his hand up. “Now, now, Corporal. Before you start thinkin’ up a plan to murder my blabbermouth of a child.” Nicole’s muscles relaxed only slightly and she cocked her head to the side, both from wanting him to continue and in question as to how he read her mind. “It don’t matter to me who y’all do-”

 _“Nedley!”_ She gasped.

“Now, now! Let me finish!” He scolded. “Do _and_ don’t want to be in relationships with- Ain’t none of my business.”

The redhead relaxed in her seat entirely, letting out a breath of relief. “. . . Alrigh’.”

_“But.”_

Her brow furrowed right back up. “But?” 

“I’ve known Waverly since she was in the womb. _And_ she was over at my house more nights than not when she was a lil thing, runnin’ rampant with Chrissy. I know . . . I know she had it rough growin’ up.” 

_“Rough,”_ Nicole echoed with a locked jaw and a slow nod.

Nedley shifted on his feet under her gaze. “That’s _why_ we had her over as many nights as we could.” Nicole swallowed, nodding for him to continue. “Anyway. Since there ain’t nobody to do this but me, I’m gonna take the liberty to do it myself.” He pushed off the railing and took a step towards her, grabbing the front of her shirt and pulling her to her feet. She stared down at him with a confused look on her face and he shook his head, letting go of her. _“Nope,_ you're too tall for that, nevermind. Sit back down.” 

“Ok,” she mumbled, sitting back on the top of the desk. 

“Now you listen to me, Haught. Nice and good.”

“Nice ‘n good. I’m listenin’.” She smirked the tiniest bit, but he threw her a glare and she wiped it off her face. 

“Waverly Earp is the single-most _sweetest_ thing I have ever met. And if, _somehow, someway,_ you take that quality away from her?” He dropped a firm hand to her knee- her _right_ knee. “It ain’t gonna be pretty for you.” Nicole swallowed a large lump in her throat as she looked down at his hand for a moment before meeting his hard eyes again. “Are we clear?” 

“Yes, Sir,” she mumbled. “Fer t’e record, t’ough, I’d rather _swim_ back t’e Ireland dan do anythin’ ta hurt ‘er.”

The professor released his grip on her knee with a grin. “That’s what I like to hear!” She gave him a half smile with an awkward chuckle. “Alright. Now that _that’s_ settled.” Nedley pulled out her test that he had previously folded and shoved into his back pocket, handing it over to her. “Time to, uh, discuss this.”

Nicole looked down at the papers, eyes shooting out of her head when she read the grade at the bottom of the scantron. “A _feckin’_ 73%?!” She jerked her head back up towards him, snapping her mouth shut. “Sorry.”

He shook his head, waving it off. “You told me Waverly had been helping you study, yea?” 

She leaned forward on her elbows, flicking through the packet of questions he had given her with it to find the ones she had missed. “Ya. A couple o’ times each week,” she mumbled. 

“Have ya been studyin’ _everything_ from this year or just the stuff you’ve been here for?” 

The redhead shook her head. “Nah, we’ve gone over it all. More t’e stuff I missed dan not.” She rubbed her forehead. “I really t’ought I did good on dis.”

“I mean . . . you did great on the things you were here for.”

“But not the shite from when I was in bloody _Ireland_ still,” she grumbled. 

“Look, Kid. This is a _Philosophy_ class. Majority of the time it means I’m standin’ at the front of the room pacing back and forth as I go on and on about whatever it is we’re learnin’ about. And if you’re not here for those classes, you’re _really_ gonna have a hard time with my tests. It’s not your fault. It ain’t like you were just ditching, you weren’t _here._ ” 

_“Exactly._ Means I shoulda been puttin’ double t’e effort in.”

“And you _were._ With Waverly,” Nedley huffed.

Nicole shook her head, flicking the packet closed and standing up as she went to hand it back to him. “Obviously not enough.”

He pushed her hand down. “Keep ‘em both . . . Look, it ain’t fair to you if I put that grade in.-”  
 _“Bullshite!_ Put it in. It ain’t yer fault!”

“Well, it ain’t yours either.”

She let out a huff. “I ain’t a fuckin’ _baby,_ Nedley. And I ain’t special either. Don’t bend t’e rules fer me.” 

Nedley’s brows furrowed with a hint of sadness. “I’ve got another girl in one of my Sociology classes that missed quite a few days at the beginning of the year cause she just had a kid. I planned on doing the _exact_ same thing with her. I ain’t gonna give you _all_ the points back, but at least enough to keep you out of the hole this’d drop your grade into.” 

The redhead shook her head sharply again. “Well forget about it. Put it in as is ‘n leave it at that.” She rolled the packet in her hand with the scantron inside it, turning away from him. 

_“Nicole,”_ Nedley sighed from behind her in one last attempt of changing her mind. 

Nicole turned around to face him, walking backward toward the door. “I’m a big girl, Professor. I don’t need no feckin’ sympathy fer bein’ a damned _eejit.”_ She spun back around before he could say anything else and pushed through the door, squeezing the paper until her knuckles turned white as she stormed down the hall. 

“-Hey, I gotta go. I’ll see you in Cultural History later.” Waverly quickly turned from the friend she had been chatting with while she was waiting on Nicole, running to catch her as she headed in the opposite direction of her. “Woah, hey.” She caught her wrist, trying to pull her to a stop. “Bub, slow down. What happened?” 

“Nothin’,” she grumbled, ripping her arm from her grip and continuing forward. 

Waverly let out a tut, jogging forward and grabbing at her sleeve, slipping in front of her and pressing her hands against her front when she collided with her. “Just stop for a sec.” 

The redhead shook her head, shifting to move around her and lifting her arm to clear over her head, turning the corner. “I don’t wanna talk about it, Waverly.” 

The smaller one swallowed with worry, continuing to try and keep up with her long strides to the best of her ability. The .5 seconds she saw her face, she was quick to notice it was flushed almost _purple,_ not to mention the way her teeth were gritting out her words. She caught back up at her, slipping in front of her again and pushing back against her arms. “Baby, you’re _freaking_ me out.” Her voice cracked as she said it, and she didn’t know if it was that or _what_ she said, but the redhead stopped walking. “You don’t have to talk about it, but relax for a minute, ok?”

Nicole’s eyes saddened as her shoulders slumped some and her eyes pulled from her face and began to dart around the hallway. She swallowed roughly as her free hand began to clench and unclench at her side before moving up to grip around the neckline of her shirt when she pulled in an unsteady breath. She met Waverly’s eyes again, and the brunette read them as nothing short of a cry for help.

“Ok . . .” she breathed out, snapping her eyes around before realizing that they were already only a door away from Dr. Holliday’s room. She grabbed Nicole’s wrist and drug her along while she pulled her keys out of her pocket, finding the right one and unlocking the door, pulling the redhead in behind her. 

Nicole gripped the corner of the wall when she moved a few steps forward, rounding it and leaning against it, sliding down the wall with another cut-off breath. Waverly quickly sat down in front of her and took her hands, noticing that she looked like she didn’t know what to do with them as she shifted around. “Hey, hey, hey, stop.” Waverly brought the redhead’s hands up and pressed them against her own cheeks to get her to look at her. “You’re alright, Baby. Just try and breathe, ok?” 

The redhead’s face slowly got redder as she tried to slow her shaky, heaving breaths, gripping her face for a few seconds before pulling her arms back and fisting at her t-shirt again. She let out a quiet whine, moving her hands to pull at her sleeve to try and get her yellow over-shirt off. _“Wave.”_

Waverly was already moving to help before she even asked her to. “Ok, shh. Slow down, Bub.” She got her to relax slightly and then sat her forward so she could maneuver the shirt off of her, pulling the other sleeve off of her when she got it around her body. _“Breathe,”_ she whispered, pulling her beanie off her head and running her hand through her hair. 

Nicole shook her head. “I can’t.”

“You _can,_ Honey. Just sit still, ok? _Relax.”_

The redhead pulled her hands back when she grabbed them again, slipping one up the side of her shirt and pulling at the velcro on the strap of her shoulder sleeve. _“Off,”_ she muttered, getting it undone and pulling her hand back, grabbing the end and yanking the whole thing out through her shirt sleeve. She let out a puff of air in relief and leaned her head back against the wall, now feeling her lungs be able to inflate all the way when she pulled in the quick breaths she could manage.

“Better?” Waverly asked softly, resting her hands on her thighs when she laid both legs flat on either side of her body. Nicole nodded, hands still shaking as she dropped them on top of her’s, squeezing her eyes shut as she finally relaxed enough to try and calm herself down. Waverly took one of her hands and brought it up to her chest, resting it over her heart. “Try and match my breathing, Bub.” 

Nicole nodded, keeping her eyes closed for the couple of minutes it took her to calm down mostly all the way. The brunette continued running her hand across her thigh and her thumb over her wrist of the hand on her chest as she spoke softly to her, giving her a tiny smile when Nicole opened her eyes again. “You ok?” Waverly asked gently. 

The redhead shrugged, reaching out for her and pulling her over, making her lean against the wall and climbing into Waverly’s lap sideways. She leaned the side of her head against her shoulder and Waverly wrapped her arms around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Nicole inhaled, nose filling with the smell of that flower garden that instantly made all of her muscles relax. She grabbed one of her arms and pulled it into her lap, basically hugging it to her chest. “. . . I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I’m a feckin’ baby.”

Waverly shook her head, sliding her fingers through her hair. “Don’t apologize. And you are _not_ a baby, so don’t say that either.” Nicole sighed, closing her eyes after she grabbed the papers and pushed them into her hand. “What’s this?” She unrolled it, grabbing the scantron when it slid out of the packet and looking it over, brows saddening when she read the score. “Bub . . .”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled into her shirt even softer than the first time.

“No,” Waverly huffed, cupping her cheek and tipping her head up towards her so she would look at her. “I was gonna ask why you’re so upset, Babe.”

“Cause . . . Ya tried _so hard_ ta help me ‘n I let ya down.”

“You didn’t let me down. Why would you think that?”

“Cause I _told_ ya when ya first wanted ta help me dat I was too feckin’ stupid ‘n _‘ere_ we are.”

The brunette shook her head again, pausing as she ran her hand through Nicole’s hair. “Stop it. You’re _not_ stupid, Nicole. So _what_ if you didn’t do the best? It’s a _midterm,_ not a final. You’ve got a whole quarter left to raise your grade back up . . . I’m not saying you’re _not_ allowed to be upset over it either, though.”

“It’s jus’ . . . first, I’ve been worried ‘bout _you_ fer t’e past lil while now. _Den_ Nedley scared t’e shite outta me cause . . . Chrissy told ‘em ‘bout us apparently-”

“She did _what?!”_

Nicole squeezed her arm. “He don’t give a rat’s arse, Love. I promise ya.” The brunette let out a small breath of relief. “He was more worried over t’e fact dat I’d hurt ya.”

“Why would he think you’d do that?” She questioned. 

“I wouldn’t, but he’s just protective.”

She let out a small huff, “Still. You wouldn’t hurt me. In _any_ way.” 

“I wouldn’t, nah.” Nicole rested her head back against her shoulder. “Anywho. I tink findin’ me grade out shot me over t’e edge.”

Waverly squeezed her hand, pressing a couple of pecks to her forehead and rubbing her thumb on her cheek. “Well, you _didn’t_ let me down. Cause I _know_ how hard you worked and I _know_ that you gave it your all.”

“. . . I did,” she mumbled, her voice going soft again. 

“Exactly.” Waverly ran her nails down her scalp, dropping some more kisses to her face. “So we’re ok now? No more stressing over this?” She lifted up the scantron.

Nicole gave her a small smile with a nod. “No more stressin’.” The brunette smiled back, leaning down into a long, gentle kiss.

Both of them jerked away from one another when the lights flicked on in the lecture hall and they heard the sound of the metal doors close behind someone. Nicole went to quickly climb off of Waverly’s lap, but they looked up and saw a red-faced Dr. Holliday already standing a few feet away from them where the wall opened up, removing his hat and fiddling with it. Unlike him, they were both ghost white and unable to move at _all._

He cleared his throat after a few seconds and continued on towards his desk, dropping his bag and coat on top of it before shifting back towards the two. Nicole had rolled off her lap at this point and was sitting with her knees to her chest about five feet away from her. The Professor shook his head and walked back over towards them. “I watched ya head in all upset and didn’t wanna intrude, so I waited a few minutes . . . Guess I didn’t completely think it through as to _why_ it was quiet all of a sudden.” Nicole stared up at him in complete fear as Waverly was frozen in the position she was in when she saw him except she was looking at him now in front of them. Dr. Holliday shook his head. _“For Heaven’s sake,_ it don’t _matter_ to me who ya fancy. Quit lookin’ at me like I’m gonna start preachin’ some of them bullshit excuses those assholes give to ya.” They both let out a heaved breath of relief, looking towards one another for only a second before looking back to him when he took another step closer. “Mark my word, this classroom will _always_ be a safe space for ya if ya need it. Don’t let nobody tell ya different. And if they _do,_ you bet your _asses_ they’ll be goin’ through me next.” 

Nicole looked towards Waverly and watched her get up off the floor. She started walking towards Dr. Holliday, leaving them both equally confused, but when she wrapped him in a hug, it all made sense. He slowly moved his arms to wrap around her top half, smiling a hint as he gave her a squeeze before letting go of her. She pulled back and wiped at her eyes, smiling softly at him. “Thank you, Doc.” 

He shook his head. “Ain’t no need to thank me for bein’ a decent human being.”

**9:31 PM**

Nicole bounced up and down ever so slightly as she plunged her Dunkaroo cookie in the frosting, popping it in her mouth as she flipped the page of her Sociology textbook. Waverly watched her from the other end of the redhead’s bed, not realizing the sweet smile on her face until Nicole glanced up at her. “What?” 

She shook her head. “Nothing . . . You’re just adorable.” 

Nicole blushed dark with a shake of her head. “Sure I am.” 

The two had met up and drove to the city park for lunch earlier, sitting under a tree as they ate their PBJs, and now that all the midterms were over for the day, they were back at Nicole’s dorm, studying together for what was to come the next day. 

Nicole had pretty much forgotten about what happened earlier. Waverly had drilled into her head that everything was alright, so she wasn’t worried about it much anymore after that. 

She jotted some things down on the notebook in front of her, tapping her pen against the paper as she looked up at Waverly. “Ya know, it’s nice havin’ someone ta talk about me work with.” 

Waverly nudged her glasses up her nose when she looked up from her book at her, furrowing her brow. “Couldn’t you do that with Robin in Dublin, too, though?” 

Nicole’s eyes widened a little for a second. “Uh- Well, I guess it’s different when t’e person actually knows what t’e feck dey’re talkin’ about.” 

Waverly giggled, shaking her head at her. “Be nice.” 

“Wouldja rather me be nice or honest?” 

Waverly moved her books to the floor and did the same with Nicole’s as she crawled towards her, moving the Dunkaroo container and taking a seat on her lap. “I’d _rather_ we stop studying cause if I have to look at one more country’s name, my eyes might start _bleeding.”_

Nicole’s brows furrowed as she dropped her hands to her hips. “But . . .”

“Baby. We’ve been studying since, like, _five o’clock._ I _think_ you’ll be alright.” She gave her a soft smile, gently running her fingers through the hair poking out the bottom of her beanie.

Nicole pulled in a breath and let it out, but Waverly heard the shake to it. “I . . . I dunno. Maybe jus’ a wee bit longer?”

Waverly let out a sigh, trying to stifle a yawn that came with it. “Ok. Maybe just a little longer.”

The redhead’s brows dipped. “Are ya tired?” 

She shook her head. “I’m good. Just a long day.” 

“Are ya sure? I can run up ta T’e Muffin Man ta get ya a coffee if ya’d like?” 

The smaller one’s face slowly morphed into a sly smile. “I mean . . .” She looped her arms around her neck, leaning further into her front. “If you’re _offering,_ maybe I’d like one.” 

Nicole licked her lips, slowly sliding her hands down to palm her ass through her jeans. “Wouldja now?” She muttered near her ear as she dropped her lips to her neck.

Waverly pulled in a breath, fisting the shirt at her back as her eyes closed. “I would.”

The redhead hummed, moving her hand up and wrapping it around the bottom of her jaw, tipping it upward as she trailed her lips higher. “Den what’s innit fer me?”

Waverly cupped her cheeks and pulled her to her lips, tightening her ankles behind her back. _“You_ get coffee _and_ a less crabby Waverly. Sounds like a good deal to me.” 

Nicole chuckled, pulling back from her and sliding her hands to her waist. “Yer right.”

The brunette gasped, “How _rude!_ You were _supposed_ to say _Nah, Baby, you’re not crabby.”_

“Well, pardon me,” she sighed, gently pulling her arms off and rolling her off her lap. “Dat’s me cue ta head off.” 

Waverly’s brow furrowed and she sat up as Nicole crawled off the bed and pulled her shoes back on. “I’m not coming?” 

Nicole stood up straight, looking around for her wallet and keys. “I, uhm . . . It’s kinda late, Darlin’.”

“So?”

The redhead picked at her nail. “I don’t exactly want ya millin’ about in t’e dark. No matter if I’m dere or not.”

Waverly’s eyes softened with a smile. _“Awe, Bubby.”_ She pushed off the bed and did some grabby hands at her, getting her to lift her up. She giggled as she sat comfortably on the front of her hips, cupping her hands over her ears and pressing a bunch of kisses to her face. “You care about my _safety.”_

“Of _course_ I do,” she mumbled. 

Waverly giggled again. “Well, thank you, Baby. I’ll stay here.”

Nicole smiled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips before setting her down. “T’ank ya, Love.” 

The brunette plopped back onto her bed as Nicole made her way towards the door. “I’ll just . . . wait here. On your bed. For you to come back.”

Nicole pulled the door open, holding in a smirk as she looked back at her. “Den I won’t keep ya waitin’ too long.” 

Waverly grinned and waited for the door to close to let out the yawn she was holding in. It was stupid to be _this_ tired at _barely_ 10 PM on a Monday night. She had promised to study with Nicole for as long as she wanted, so she was pretty much only focused on keeping herself awake at this point. She figured a little makeout would do the trick, but when Nicole offered up _coffee,_ how could she refuse?

She let out a sigh as she leaned the side of her head against the wall, messing with one of the loose strings on her sweater. She was thinking about how much fun they had at the park and how much they had enjoyed their time together over the past few hours, and it distracted her enough to the point where she didn’t even realize she had closed her eyes. 

**10:02 PM**

Nicole pushed her dorm door back open and headed in with both coffees in hand. “I’m back, Dar-” She glanced up after shutting the door with her foot, pausing there and blinking at Waverly. She was hunched forward, but still somehow leaning against the wall with her legs criss-crossed, _completely_ asleep. She let out a sigh with a quiet chuckle, shaking her head as she walked over and set the two coffees on the counter. She walked over and gently opened her closet door, shedding her overshirt and grabbing a navy pair of sweatpants, a grey pair, and a black Nike sweatshirt. She kicked her shoes off and wiggled out of her jeans before pulling the navy sweatpants on. She dropped the other clothes on the end of the bed and rested one knee against it as she leaned forward, running her fingers gently through her hair. “Aye, Dear.” 

Waverly stirred a little, blinking up at her with heavy eyes. “Bub,” she mumbled as she pulled at her arm. 

“Tired, hmm?” Nicole asked softly as she began to move all of their things off her bed. 

“No, I stay up,” she assured through a half-awake slur, trying to grab the book back from her. “Studyin’ time. I’m sorry.” 

“Shh. Bedtime, Wave,” Nicole said as she moved everything off the bed. 

“Noo,” she whined.

“We’re goin’ ta sleep, Baby. It’s alrigh’.”

 _“We?”_ Waverly questioned with a confused furrow of her brow. This was something they had _definitely_ not done yet. They’d stayed up _late_ at one another’s dorms, sometimes even napping there during the day, but they had never stayed overnight with one another. 

“If dat’s ok? Yer _knackered._ Mise well crash ‘ere.” A small blush crept up on Nicole’s cheeks. “Wouldn’t mind sharin’ a bed t’night anyhow.” 

Waverly’s mouth slid into a tired smile. “Cuddlin’ _my baby_ all night?” She dropped back and did some _more_ grabby hands at her. “I don’t mind one bit.”

Nicole chuckled, grabbing her wrists and pulling her to sit up. “Change first?” She lifted the pile of clothes. “Ain’t need ya sleepin’ in jeans.” 

The brunette rubbed her eye, scooting to the edge of the bed and standing up, leaning partially into Nicole as she grabbed the sweatshirt. “Mine now,” she mumbled with a smile, stripping her sweater and pulling Nicole’s on, flapping the oversized sleeves a few times before wiggling them back so she could get to her belt. Nicole turned away and walked over to the counter, grabbing the coffees and sticking them in the mini fridge for the next day, heading back as the brunette danced into the sweatpants that were _far_ too huge on her. She tied the drawstring before climbing back onto her bed and dropping her face into her pillow. 

Nicole flicked all the lights off and sat down, taking Waverly’s glasses and setting them down on the nightstand before pulling the covers back and letting them both wiggle under. Waverly let out a content hum, scooting towards the redhead and throwing her arm across her middle and her leg over her hips, pressing her face into her neck. “Night, Bub,” she breathed out. 

The redhead smiled, letting out a heavy sigh as she slid her hand down the brunette’s back, tipping her head down to press a kiss to her forehead. “G’night, Love.” 

**Wednesday, October 27th, 1993** **1:16 AM**

Robin slowly pushed the door to their dorm open, gently stepping in and turning around to shut it behind him. 

_“Better be Robbie or dis blade’ll be lodged in yer spine.”_

He turned around with a cocked brow, looking through the room illuminated by the moonlight pouring through the window and chuckling softly when he saw her with a pocketknife in one hand and a Waverly under the other. “Jus’ me, Nic. I ain’t commin’ ta hurt yer Waves.”

Nicole let out a grunt, closing the knife and shoving it back under her mattress. “Done woke me up, Arsecrack.” 

“Me deepest apologies fer ya bein’ a bloody light sleeper. Consider it payback fer wakin’ Jer up when ya came in _plastered_ Saturday night. Scared him half ta death, ya did.”

“Aye, shh,” Nicole hushed, glancing down at the still-sleeping Waverly on her chest. He put his hands up as he quietly changed out of his clothes into pajamas. “Ain’t ya glad I landed in _yer_ bed? Cuddlin’ with t’e two of ya was a _grand_ ol’ time.” 

“I tink dat’s da first time Shorty’s every been dat close ta a gal.” 

“Glad ta be of service den,” Nicole smirked, looking for something to throw at his bare butt across the room but coming up short when she couldn’t find anything in arm’s reach. “Why’dja let Jeremy bite yer arse?”

“It’s been rainin’ fer days . . . Wouldja believe me if I told ya dat I fell on da pavement?” 

“I would not.” 

“Guess dat’s fair. He’s do be a cheeky lil bastard, t’ough, dat’s fer sure.” Robin pulled some pants over his bare white ass and shedded his shirt. “Finally got yer mot in t’e sack, aye?” 

_“No!”_ Nicole gasped. 

Waverly shifted, letting out a whine, “Bub.”

She let out a sorry wince, running her fingers through her hair. “Shh, go back ta sleep. Robbie’s back ‘n bein’ a gobshite.” 

“Robbie, quit bein’ a gobshite,” Waverly mumbled, snuggling back into her chest as she was practically back to sleep already. 

“I tink Babycakes is takin’ after ya, Nic.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Fer one, she ain’t me mot, so quit sayin’ dat. Second, we didn’t do nothin’, she was jus’ tired, ya nasty. T’ird, _Babycakes?”_

“Ya better get on dat, Mate. Someone else’ll scoop’er up. As fer _Babycakes_ , do ya got a problem with dat? Cause I certainly don’t. It’s fittin’, see. She’s a lil ting, so baby, and- well, I may not be straight, but I can tell ya she’s got one _mighty-_ ”

“If ya say _arse,_ I’m makin’ ya sleep outside,” Nicole grumbled.

Robin chuckled nervously as he walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. “All I’m sayin’ is dat it’s all da more reason ta try ‘n tie her down ‘fore some other gal comes along and does it first.” 

Nicole glared at him in the moonlight, though the shaky breath she let out was not as intimidating. She ran her hand down her face with a shake of her head. “Robbie . . . Ya know I ain’t good with commitment.” 

“Why? Cause t’e only gal ya _have_ committed to broke yer heart when she found out yer plan ta-” 

_“Robin.”_

“I’m jus’ sayin’!” He scream-whispered. “I don’t wanna see ya get hurt if someone takes her away from ya.” 

“Look,” she huffed. “I’m . . . plannin’ on it, alrigh’?”

 _“When,_ Kid? T’e _feck_ ya waitin’ fer?” 

“I . . . I _can’t_ lose her t’e same way I lost Shae.”

“Ya _won’t,_ Nic,” Robin mumbled. 

Nicole rolled her head back to look up at the ceiling, slowly running her fingers through Waverly’s hair again. “. . . I’m not so sure ‘bout dat, Robbie.”

Robin let out a sigh, pulling the blanket back on his bed and crawling under them. “Well . . . If I’ve seen anyting over t’e last few weeks, yer lil secret ain’t gonna take away t’e fact dat she looks at ya like ya’ve hung t’e stars in t’e sky.”

The redhead rolled her eyes, wrapping her arm around Waverly and slowly flipping them both to their sides, facing away from Robin. “Cause I’m taller dan her. Duh.” 

He chuckled with a shake of his head. “Yer in denial, Nic.” 

Waverly scooted closer to her in her sleep, pressing herself as close to Nicole’s front as she could. She waited a couple of long seconds just to make a million percent sure she was asleep. She shut her eyes, pressing her face into her hair for a moment before leaning her head back against the pillow with a faltered breath. “. . . I’m not sure t’e word is _denial,_ Robbie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter's gonna be a doozy, lemme just say that right now...


	16. I Wanna See It Comin’ Outta Yer Shite Eatin’ Mouth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone get's punched... but they deserve it. Also, soulmates??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Trigger Warning**  
> Violence  
> (Also Queef wrote the violence so sorry if there's a weird a style difference) 
> 
> Who's excited to find out who Jeremy's roommate is?

**Thursday, October 28th, 1993 12:44 PM**

“I don’t get it!” Robin groaned, dropping his forehead onto the table. “It looks jus’ like t’e one above it with different numbers, but t’e rules are completely different!”

“That’s because there’s negatives,” Jeremy said, preparing to go over the question with him again. 

“I don’t wanna do it again, Shorty.” 

Jeremy sighed, “You’ve got to learn how to do it or you’re not gonna pass your midterm.”

“It’s one problem outta t’e _entire_ study guide!” he whined.

“There could be more on the actual test,” Jeremy huffed, pushing the packet towards him. “C’mon, one more time.”

Robin stuck out his bottom lip and crossed his arms like a toddler about to throw a tantrum. _“No!”_

“I’m done, too,” Waverly cut in. “I helped Nicole study for Trig last night, so this is just melting my brain even further.”

“So we’re done, aye?” Robin asked, his lips twitching into a smile. “I hope so ‘cause I’m starvin’.” 

Jeremy shook his head. “That’s why you’re being cranky? Because you’re hungry?”

“I’m always hungry,” he corrected. “I’m starvin’ now.”

“You ate after your first midterm.”

“Dat was almost t’ree hours ago!” 

Waverly giggled at their arguing while she sorted through all of the worksheets she’d pulled out for their Calc study session. “You two get along really well. Kennedy’s not getting jealous is he?”

“ _Kennedy_?” Robin questioned, raising an eyebrow and leaning back in his chair. “Now why would he be gettin’ jealous over me?”

Jeremy groaned, shooting Waverly a glare. “She’s under the impression that I’m going out with someone-” 

“Excuse you! You told me you _were_ going out with someone,” Waverly reminded.

“Hardly!” he groaned. “Even if I _did_ tell you I was maybe going out with someone, I also told you it isn’t Kennedy _at least_ twenty times this week.”

“I wanna know!” Waverly whined, sticking out her bottom lip to try and guilt trip him into telling her.

Robin propped his chin up on his hand, looking at Jeremy with amusement. “I’d also love ta know who yer goin’ out with, Shorty.” 

“I’m going to kill you.”

He grinned, sitting back and moving close to Jeremy’s ear. “Alone, in me gaff later, aye?” he whispered.

Jeremy slapped his arm, and Waverly pouted at them both. “Hey! No secrets!” 

“Alrigh’ Babycakes,” Robin said, looking at her with his best attempt at a serious face. “If we ain’t keepin’ secrets den why don’t ya tell me why I ain’t allowed in me own gaff til yer gone, aye? Ya ain’t left until almost one in t’e mornin’ every night dis week!”

Waverly’s face turned red and she looked away from him, “Well… I mean- We’re studying!”

“Doin’ a wee bit more dan studying from what I’ve heard,” he chuckled. “Did ya ever tink dat maybe I wanted ta bring me a laddy home? ‘N I can’t quite get dat done when yer gettin’ defiled by me mate, now can I?” he asked, a smirk spreading across his face.

“If you wanted to bring someone home, you could have told us!” she argued. 

“I didn’t wanna see no one’s panties!” he said, loud enough to make a few other students look at them with concern. 

She buried her face in her hands. “Oh my god, _please_ shut up! We’ll go to my dorm a couple nights a week, alright?” 

“I’d much rather Chrissy walkin’ in on ya dan me ‘n me boy,” he agreed, still grinning. 

Waverly looked at Jeremy. “Does it not bother you that he just yelled that in the middle of the library?”

He shrugged. “It’s not my favorite thing, but I thought it was funnier than you did, that’s for sure.” 

“Why are you so… _calm?”_ she asked, raising her eyebrow. Jeremy paused, thinking about a way around admitting that he’d been getting a little high before all of his midterms to help with his anxiety and the last one hadn’t worn off yet. “Mystery Man easing your stress?” she asked with a sly smile before he had a chance to answer. 

“In more ways than one,” he chuckled, running a hand up Robin’s thigh before grabbing his satchel and digging through it. 

Robin shot him a glare but decided against saying anything, so he looked to Waverly instead. “How’s it goin’ with Nic? All jokes aside.”

Waverly smiled as a light blush appeared on her cheeks. “I know we haven’t even known each other for a month yet, but I feel like things are going so well. She’s just… _different._ In a good way, though. She’s so patient and gentle with me, but also funny and sweet and just… _amazing._ Sometimes I feel like we might be moving too fast, but that’s only when I think about what my expectations of a ‘normal’ relationship are,” she explained. “Most of the time, it just feels perfect between us.”

Jeremy looked up at her for just a moment, seeing the absolute infatuation on her face as she spoke. “Sounds like soulmates.”

“Did _you_ , Jeremy Chetri, a man of science and evidence, just said _soulmates_ in a serious way?” she asked with a laugh. “Are you _sure_ you’re okay?” 

“I’m not saying that I definitely believe in them, but there _is_ some research into the concept of some people genuinely belonging together due to the pull of their atoms. I did a lot of research into it when Fish and Levi got together, and if you’re looking for a reason to believe in it, it’s easy to see how it would work.”

“So yer sayin’ dat dere’s a possibility dat her and Nic’s atoms were drawn ta t’e other ‘n dat’s why we ended up in Canada?” Robin questioned.

Jeremy continued to stare down into his satchel, though now he wasn’t quite sure what he’d been looking for to begin with. “I mean… it’s really hard to actually prove because there’s billions of people on Earth and that would mean that you’ve got to find your one person amongst everyone on the planet, but the fact that Nicole came here from another continent and ran into you in a library while being in an entirely different year with an entirely different major leans in favor of her being the one that was made for you if you wanted to believe in the theory. And it _is_ just a theory.” 

While Waverly had apparently gotten lost in her thoughts while he was talking, Robin was very intrigued by what he was hearing. 

“What’re t’e odds dat I found me soulmate here in Calgary as well?” he asked, turning to face Jeremy despite the fact that he was still looking down at his satchel.

“There’s no statistics on how likely it is for two people to go halfway across the world and find their soulmates in the same place because the theory of soulmates is still so hard to prove, but logistically, I’d say that if soulmates are 100% real, which I’m not saying they are, the odds are extremely low that you’d be able to find your soulmates in the same place.”

 _“Low,_ but not impossible?” he asked, nudging Jeremy’s foot with his. 

Jeremy looked into Robin’s eyes for the first time since he’d started talking and felt something in his chest tighten. “Definitely not impossible, no,” he agreed, his voice almost dropping to a whisper. 

“Den I like me odds.”

“I think I do, too,” Waverly agreed, looking at them with a content smile on her face. “We better go. It’s almost 1 already.”

The three grabbed all of their things, preparing to meet Nicole at the diner for lunch. 

“So if soulmates _aren’t_ real, how long does it take for someone to realistically fall in love?” Waverly asked Jeremy after they’d left the library. 

“Realistically and physically possible are different things.”

“Okay, then tell me both.”

“Well, it’s physically possible to be in love with someone in 90 minutes, but the love developed isn’t stable until at least a few weeks but more _realistically_ a few months. So can you fall in love in 90 minutes? Yes. Is it going to last? Depends on how much work you put into it.” 

Waverly chewed her lip for a moment as they walked. “Do you think Nicole and I will last?”

“Do you want it to?”

“More than anything.”

Jeremy shrugged. “From a scientific standpoint, I’d say your chances are high.”

“I love having a friend who likes science more than people- Oh, there’s Nicole!” She pointed towards where Nicole was leaning against the front of the diner and waved at her, a massive grin spreading across her face. “Hey, Bub!”

Nicole waved back, pushing herself off the wall and waiting as they crossed the street to get to her. 

“Yo, Chetri!” someone called, coming up from the sidewalk next to the diner. “I need you to do me a favor!” 

“Who’s dat?” Robin asked when Waverly had run the rest of the street to meet Nicole by the front door of the diner, neither of the girls noticing the guy that was approaching from the sidewalk that was hidden behind the side of the diner. 

Jeremy sighed as they continued across the street. “That’s the lovely roommate you’ve yet to have the pleasure of meeting.”

Robin glared at the guy. “He’s t’e one who broke yer R2-D2? Want me ta puck ‘em one?” 

“No!” Jeremy pressed a hand to Robin’s chest to stop him for a few seconds when they reached the corner that his roommate was approaching. “Please do _not_ hit my roommate! I’ve got to _live_ with him for the rest of the year and he already doesn’t like me very much!”

As soon as he’d finished speaking, his roommate closed the gap between them and raised a brow towards Robin before addressing Jeremy. “I’ve gotta couple packages showing up to the dorms in about an hour, and they’re not really allowed in the dorms, so you’re gonna go get them for me.” 

“Why would I do that?”

“‘Cause Dolls likes you, so you’re not gonna get kicked out as easy.”

Jeremy took in a deep breath and let it out through his nose, trying not to get worked up after being in such a good mood almost all week. “What is it?” 

His roommate chuckled to himself. “A frog.”

 _“Why?”_ Jeremy groaned.

“Why not?” he laughed. “Frogs are rad.”

“Ya mates with dis fucker, Jer?” Nicole asked, shooting a death glare at the roommate as she and Waverly walked towards them. 

“Fuck off, _bitch._ This ain’t none of your business.” 

Waverly moved in front of Nicole, obviously sensing that something bad might happen if she didn’t. “Champ, be nice, alright? She wasn’t trying to cause any problems.”

“Oh dis is _Champ,_ huh?” Robin asked, tracing his eyes up and down his leather jacket and slicked back hair. “Yer t’e one Nic was havin’ problems with.”

Champ tore his glare from Nicole and looked back at Jeremy. “You friends with that dyke, Chetri?” Nicole’s nostrils flared and she went to move towards him, but Waverly grabbed her again. “Are you _really_ dumb enough to be hanging out with someone like _her?”_

“What was dat, now?” Robin growled, grabbing Champ by the collar of his jacket and slamming him up against the light pole next to them.

“Robin, _stop!”_ Jeremy and Waverly both yelled. Jeremy grabbed the arm that wasn’t holding onto Champ and tried to pull him off, but Robin yanked his arm away, raising it up into a fist. 

“No, say it again! I wanna see it comin’ outta yer shite eatin’ mouth.” 

“Robin, please don’t,” Jeremy begged. 

Robin looked towards him for a moment, lowering his fist just a bit. In the split second that he hadn’t been paying attention, Nicole had finally managed to pull away from Waverly and pushed him off of Champ, shoving Champ back against the pole when he tried to walk away.

“Nic, it’s not worth it!” Robin said, trying to pull her away from Champ.

“Nah, Robbie, I got dis,” she grumbled, shaking him off.

 _“Nicole!”_ Waverly shouted, pushing against Robin as he held her back with his arms wrapped around her middle.

“Get off me, bitch,” Champ grunted, pushing at Nicole’s shoulders. A state of nervous shock passed over his face when she didn’t budge from his shove and instead, she let go of him with her right hand and brought it back with a punch that would have _easily_ knocked out someone who wasn’t as hard headed as he was. 

Robin grabbed ahold of Jeremy’s arm, pulling him back to where he was holding Waverly. “Aye, stay back here. Can’t have ya gettin’ caught up in dis- Dat means you, too, Babycakes!” he said before rushing back to where Nicole and Champ were obviously about to burst into a full on fist fight. 

Nicole ripped Champ off the pole by the shirt and shoved him away from her, taking the second he stumbled back off the curb to push her sleeves to her elbows, starting for him and socking him across the jaw. “Got somethin’ ta say now?” 

Champ let out a snarl, swinging his hand out and grabbing the front of her sweatshirt. “Your kind’s _disgusting.”_ His meat fist connected with her right cheek only once before she was able to rip his other hand off her and shove him back onto the sidewalk. 

He tried to back away, but Nicole ran at him, face redder than her hair as both of her fists swung at him, each connecting with a different part of his face. _“I’m_ t’e disgustin’ one, aye?” 

Champ grunted, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “You’re probably forcing Waverly to do shit with you, aren’t you? _Nasty bit-”_

Nicole shot forward, knocking him to the concrete and hearing the back of his head smack against it. He was blocking her arms, but her fists were hitting him either way. _“Yer a pig, ya piece of shite!_ Don’t _ever_ say-”

Robin hooked his arms around Nicole’s middle and drug her back, trying to get her off of Champ. _“Stop it,_ wouldja? Ya’re scarin’ Waves ‘n Jer!” Nicole fought against his grip as Champ pushed himself off the ground. _“Jaysus,_ Nic, cut it-” Nicole’s arm came back and her elbow nailed Robin right in the nose, forcing him to drop her, leaving her to continue back onto Champ. 

Nicole started back towards him, grabbing him by either side of the jacket and swinging him around once before throwing him at the streetlight. His side hit it, but he managed to stay on his feet after a stumble. 

He wiped his bloody face with the back of his hand and let out a sickening chuckle, “I guess I was right then, huh?” He walked a few steps forward before sprinting at her and catching her off guard. He jabbed his fist into her stomach, knocking her across the mouth when she doubled over.

 _“Wrong,”_ Nicole said through a groan, keeping herself bent forward and lunging at him, knocking him back with her arms wrapped around his hips. Champ kicked his legs, smacking at her face before she hauled herself to sit up. She pulled her fist back and swung it forward with all of her body weight, switching arms and doing the exact same thing, her eyes glazing over without a _hint_ of remorse. 

Waverly grabbed Jeremy’s shirt, burying her face in his chest so she didn’t have to look at what happened after that, and he wrapped his arms around her, rocking her back and forth while repeating that Nicole was going to be alright over and over again while she whimpered. He thought for a moment about going to help Robin up from where he’d fallen when Nicole had hit him in the face, but he’d told them to stay where they were, so he did. 

When the doors of the diner opened, he turned his head to see Kennedy and another guy running outside and towards the fight. Kennedy was quick to help Robin up before they both ran to pull Nicole off of Champ while the other guy tried to keep Champ from going at her or anyone else who had stopped to watch the fight. 

“Nicole!- Oh my god!” Waverly cried out, seeing her being lowered to the ground by Robin and Kennedy while the other guy was getting some assistance dragging Chump towards the campus’ nurse’s office. She wiggled away from Jeremy and rushed towards where she’d been set down, dropping down next to her and taking her face in her hands. “Are you alright?- Where else are you hurt?” 

Tears rolled down Waverly’s cheeks as she traced her eyes over her face, blood leaking from both nostrils and mixing with the bit coming from the split in her top lip. Her right eye was already swelling and there was a cut right across her cheekbone from one of his rings. She had a couple of other scratches and nicks on her swollen face, but that was all that was visible at that point. 

Waverly took her hands, letting out a shaky breath when she saw the blood and bruising on them, although she knew most of the blood wasn’t her’s. 

Nicole met her eyes for the first time when Waverly looked back up at her, her teeth grinding as the area below her left eye twitched. Waverly’s eyes saddened when her heart started to calm since Nicole seemed relatively alright. She dropped her hands and her body sank forward, forehead leaning against her shoulder. “Why’d you _do_ that, Bub?”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “...I’m sorry dat ya hate violence, but _trust me_ when I tell ya he deserved it.”

_“No-”_

_“No,_ Waverly, listen ta me,” she growled, voice deep with anger, not at her but at the situation in general. “Since t’e last time I fought with him, anytime he’s seen me, he’s either badmouthed me or said t’e _nastiest_ t’ings ‘bout ya- T’ings he wanted ta _do_ ta ya.” Waverly lifted her head and met her eyes with a disgusted twist to her lip. “I jus’- He pushed me over t’e edge today. I held it all in before _fer you,_ but I couldn’t deal with it anymore ‘n I’m sorry… He had it comin’ sooner or later, ‘n I’m sorry ya had ta be ‘ere when it happened.”

Waverly pulled in a shaky inhale as more tears slid down her cheeks. “I… I’m just glad you’re ok.” 

Kennedy knelt down in front of them, tossing a bunch of paper towels at Nicole. “Looks like we’re matching now, Red,” he chuckled, gesturing to their matching black eyes.

When it seemed that Kennedy and Waverly were taking care of Nicole, Jeremy turned towards where Robin had planted himself on the sidewalk near Nicole, sitting with his head stuck between his bent knees, letting blood pour out of his nose and onto the concrete.

“You’re a fucking dumbass,” Jeremy told him, feeling a light stinging in his eyes.

“Ya told _me_ not ta hit ‘em ‘n I didn’t,” Robin said, chuckling a little as he looked up to Jeremy, making the blood dribble down his cheek from the angle he had his head tipped. 

Jeremy closed his eyes for a moment to try and compose himself before sitting down next to Robin and grabbing the bridge of his nose to try and slow the bleeding. “Keep looking down.” 

“I always t’ought ya were s’posed ta put yer head back,” Robin said, but did what Jeremy said anyway.

“That makes the blood go down your throat,” he said, taking his hand and showing him where to hold the bridge of his nose. “Which isn’t good.” 

“Aye, no kidding?” he asked, laughing a little.

“You’re not funny,” Jeremy sighed, looking at him with tears threatening to spill down his face.

Robin looked up at him again and his face dropped. The hand that wasn’t holding his nose found Jeremy’s and squeezed it gently. “Please don’t cry, Baby.” 

“You fucking scared me, Robin.”

“Jer, I couldn’t just stand dere and let him say all dose nasty tings ‘bout you and Nic. ‘Sides, I wasn’t gonna hurt him anyway, I was just tryna scare him. It ain’t me fault dat Nic jumped in.” 

Jeremy sat silent for several seconds, thinking back on what had happened, already having a hard time keeping it all straight because of how fast it had all happened. 

Kennedy knelt down next to them, giving a handful of paper towels to Robin for him to press to his nose. “Listen, I’ve gotta get back to work, but I don’t think Nicole’s going to be able to walk wherever she needs to go. Hurt her knee pretty bad, I guess.” 

“I got her, t’anks Ken,” Robin said, holding out his hand to give Kennedy a fist bump. “Yer face looks gnarly by t’e way.” 

Kennedy grinned at him. “Totally worth it.”

“I figured it was.”

After Kennedy went inside, Robin looked back to Jeremy. He was staring out at the street, forehead propped on one of his hands and shiny tears slipping down his face. Robin's throat seemed to close when he tried to speak, so instead he moved to give him a hug but Jeremy stood up quickly, wiping his face and moving back to where Nicole and Waverly were sitting, trying to clean up the blood from Nicole’s face.

Robin took a deep breath, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him. He turned to look at Nicole, her face bloodied and already swelling. He let out a sigh as he stood, walking towards her and pulling the paper towel away from his nose when she looked up at him.

“Hell of a hit ya gave me back dere. Ya proud o’ yerself?”

She smiled a little. “Not even t’e worst I’ve done ta ya.” 

“Not by a long shot, nah,” he agreed, eyes flickering down to her right leg that seemed to be propped up a little. “Leg givin’ ya trouble?”

“Seems dat way, don’t it?”

He sighed, hooking his arms under her’s and hoisting her to her feet. He pulled her right arm over his shoulder and glanced back at the diner. “I don’t tink we’re gettin’ lunch today, Kid.”

“Pretty sure that’s the least of any of our worries right now,” Waverly mumbled, standing up and collecting the blood soaked paper towels that they’d left laying on the sidewalk before moving to catch up to them. 

Jeremy hung behind them, his hands shoved into his pockets as he thought about what had happened over and over again. When they arrived back at the dorms, he paused for a second, seeing if any of them would notice that he was gone. Nicole was still trying to convince Waverly she was alright and Robin seemed to be distracted by making sure he didn’t slam her into a wall as he helped her towards the elevator to get to Waverly's room and her weirdly large first aid kit.

He turned down the hall that led to the RA Office and mail room, hurrying inside, and finding Xavier observing two large packages labeled “Fragile” that were stacked with one that said “Live Animal”. 

“What is this?” he asked without even looking at Jeremy. “What did Hardy order? Why are you the one here to pick it up? Is it really that bad?”

“It’s a frog,” Jeremy said, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Xavier turned towards him as soon as he heard his voice and frowned deeply. “What happened?” He grabbed one of Jeremy’s hands and looked at it closely. “Why do you have blood on your hand.”

“There was a fight.”

 _“You_ got in a fight?” he asked, obviously shocked. 

Jeremy shot him an annoyed look. “You really think I’d look this okay if I got in a fight?”

“I figured it was with Levi.” Xavier sighed when the joke didn’t even make Jeremy’s lips twitch in a smile. “Talk to me, Chetri,” he urged, waving his hand towards a chair in front of the desk in the middle of the office. 

Jeremy sat down slowly and looked down at his hands. “Champ and Nicole beat the shit out of each other.”

“Are they both okay?” Xavier questioned, writing something down on a piece of paper that was surely some kind of report he had to fill out for the fight. 

“Champ’s getting taken to the nurse’s office and Waverly is taking care of her and Robin,” Jeremy explained, doing his best to mess with his bracelets instead of picking at his skin.

“What happened to Jett?”

“Nicole elbowed him in the face when he tried to pull her off of Champ and it gave him a really bad bloody nose.” 

Xavier looked up at him. “That’s why you’re upset? Because Robin got hurt?”

“Because him _and_ Nicole got hurt, but also because he was the one that initially reacted when Champ called Nicole a…” he dropped his voice down to a whisper, feeling uncomfortable saying it himself. “He called her a dyke and then Robin pushed him against a pole and started yelling at him and then Nicole took over and…” he paused, looking up at Xavier again. “I- I never thought I’d have to see people I care about get hurt again. Not like _this_ , anyway.”

He felt the tears start to well up again and Xavier walked around the table, ruffling his hair with one hand and patting his shoulder with the other. “I hate that shit like this keeps happening to you Jeremy, I really do. Out of all the kids I met at the boy’s home, you were the one I wanted everything to work out for the mos1.”

“I’m just so tired of feeling like I should be in defense mode all the time while I’m waiting for the next bad thing to happen to me,” Jeremy choked out. “And now I don’t wanna go back to my dorm tonight because I’m terrified of what Champ’s going to do, and I don’t know if I can get myself to talk to Robin right now because I’m just so… scared… and nervous… and _angry_ even- I’m just so overwhelmed.”

“You want my advice?” Jeremy nodded, looking up at Xavier as he leaned back against the table. “I think that the only thing that’s going to make you feel better is if you talk to him. If you tell him a little about Fish and Levi and what y’all went through together, he’s going to understand why you’re upset better than if you just let him think that you didn’t like that he pushed your roommate up against a pole.”

Jeremy frowned and looked back down at his hands. “What if it doesn’t make a difference?” 

Xavier leaned forward and set his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. “Then he’s not the one for you,” he said calmly, watching Jeremy think about it for a second before he looked up and nodded. 

“That would hurt me more than the ‘A Death In the Family’ Batman comics hurt me, and I cried about those for a week,” he said sadly. “I know you’re right, though.”

“If it makes you feel better, I think that, despite the fact that I find Robin ignorant and a regular pain my ass, I don’t think he’d do that to you.”

Jeremy let out a small breath of something like relief. “I hope you’re right about that.”

“Now.” Xavier stood, looking back at the pile of boxes. “We need to talk about the frog situation.”

“I don’t even know what kind of frog is it!” Jeremy groaned. “He just said hey, go get this frog and then he got himself into a fist fight.” 

“Well, you better figure out what kind of frog it is ‘cause it’s now your responsibility.”

 _“Why?”_ he whined. “I didn’t buy it.” 

“If it’s Champ’s then it doesn’t get to stay.” 

Jeremy shrugged. “I don’t care if it stays or not. Send it back, I’ve got no emotional attachment to a frog I’ve never even seen.” 

Xavier picked up the package and read it’s labels. “Well, it’s from a pet store in California so unless you want to frog to die on the trip back, I do believe this is yours,” he said, handing Jeremy the box that moved slightly in his hands. 

“As if I wasn’t stressed enough, now I have a frog that I have no money to take care of. Could this day get _any_ better?” 

“I'm pretty sure that you also need to build it’s tank and read into how to set it up and what to feed it,” Xavier said, looking at the labels on the bigger boxes. “ _But_ , it seems like Champ went through the trouble of buying everything your new friend needs.” 

Jeremy flinched, feeling the inside of the box move again and he shot Xavier a glare. “I’m going to go to the library and find a book on…” he read the label on the box. “South American Horned Frogs in captivity.”

“You should take him out of the box first.”

He shook his head, grimacing a little. “I’d really rather not.” 

“What if he suffocates?” 

“He’s been in here for an entire flight from California, I think he’s fine!” 

Xavier crossed his arms and gave Jeremy a warning look. “Open the box.”

Jeremy shot him a concerned look but set the box down on the table and cautiously opened it, prepared for something to jump out at him the second he opened it. Instead, he found a plastic container with a bright orange, fat, and circular looking frog sitting inside of it. 

“Oh no,” he sighed. 

“What’s wrong?” Xavier asked, backing away from the table. “Is it poisonous or something?”

Jeremy picked up the plastic container to look at the frog closer. “No, he’s so fucking cute!”

“Why’s that a problem?”

“Because _now_ I’m in love with him.” 

**1:30 PM**

After a trip to the library to find six books on South American Horned Frogs and their care and habitat set up, Jeremy found Xavier in his dorm with all of the boxes opened and a tank in the process of being set up. 

“Having fun?” Jeremy asked, dropping the books on the desk next to where the tank was being set up and laying down the bed, the frog hanging out in his hand. He gently set it down on his chest to let it hop around while Xavier gave him a brief overview of what he’d learned from the various packaging that had come with the frog. 

“I know you’ve gotta go to your next midterm soon so I figured I hang around and spend some time setting up the tank for you,” he said, packing in a thick layer of dirt that the frog would normally be buried under. 

“What about the frog?”

“The tank’s not ready yet, so you’re going to have to take him with you.”

Jeremy shook his head. “Into my midterm? Are you crazy? Dr. Holliday will kick me out of the hall!”

“Holliday loves animals, you’ll be fine,” he huffed, starting to put together a strange lamp.

“If he kicks me out, I’m blaming you,” Jeremy grumbled, looking back to the frog. “What am I going to do when Champ gets back?”

Xavier picked up a bucket and set what was remaining of the dirt inside of it. “I’ll take this to Robin and Nicole’s dorm and you can sleep there with the frog tonight.” 

“Not helpful if I’m still not talking to Robin by tonight.” 

“Better go fix things with your boyfriend then,” he said, looking up at Jeremy with an amused smile.

“Not my boyfriend,” Jeremy sighed, slipping the frog in the pocket of Robin’s hoodie that he’d been wearing throughout most of midterms and grabbing his backpack, all while glaring at Xavier. “And if everything goes to shit?”

“Then you can stay at Fish and Levi’s apartment and cry to them and your newfound friend,” he smiled, slapping Jeremy on the back before he went to leave. 

“You’re the worst!” he groaned. 

“It’s one of my best qualities,” Xavier said with a grin before slamming the door in Jeremy’s face. 

Jeremy walked slowly towards the elevator, pressing the third floor button. He waited for the door to close before pulling the frog back out of the pocket and holding him up to eye level. “What am I going to name you?” 

The elevator shuttered to a stop at the third floor and Jeremy looked up at the doors opened, closing his hands around the frog to hide it from whoever was standing on the other side of the doors. 

He couldn’t decide in the moment if it would have been worse if someone he’d never met had been standing on the other side of the doors because he was too nervous that the shock from seeing Robin was going to make him suffocate or squish his frog. 

“Where ya headin’?” Robin asked him, looking down at the orange mass in his hands with wide eyes. “Somewhere with a _froggy_ apparently.”

“I was actually going to go look for you...” he said quietly, observing the frog once again to keep his attention off of Robin. “How’s your nose?”

“Stopped bleeding a few minutes back so Nic asked me ta get her a different shirt ‘n her crutches ‘n bag from our gaff.” Robin let out a loud sigh when Jeremy did nothing but nod in response. Seconds before the elevator reached the first floor, he pressed the emergency stop button, forcing the elevator to jolt as the wires stopped moving. 

“Oh my god,” Jeremy gasped, clutching the frog and pressing his back against the wall to keep from falling from the force of the stop.

Robin cringed. “Sorry ‘bout dat.” 

“Why’d you do that?” Jeremy yelled, snapping his eyes up to meet Robin’s.

“‘Cause we need ta talk ‘bout what happened,” he said, leaning against the wall next to Jeremy. “It’s really tearin’ me up on t’e inside ta see ya hurtin’ like dis, ‘specially ‘cause o’ me. Not ta mention dat ya scared t’e shite outta me when ya jus’ bloody _disappeared_ earlier.”

“Normally no one notices when I do that.”

Robin frowned at him. “Well I ain’t no one, Shorty. Ya can’t just run off like dat, yer gonna gimme a heart attack.”

“You can’t just shove my roommate around while I’ve still got to live with him, that’s going to give me an anxiety attack,” Jeremy retorted, looking up at him with tears already welling up in his eyes. “You can’t just do shit like that and expect me to be okay with it. You’ve got no idea-” he paused, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath.

“I know, Jer,” Robin said softly, putting a cautious hand on Jeremy’s arm. “I’m sorry, ‘n I’d never do anyting I knew was gonna upset ya. I just never expected dat kinda reaction outta ya.” 

Jeremy shrugged, pulling away from him and moving to start the elevator again. “It’s not your responsibility to make sure I’m fine all the time.”

Robin grabbed his arm with one hand and wrapped his other arm around his waist. “Ya can’t just block me out like dis, Shorty. It ain’t good fer us and I ain’t ‘bout ta lose ya over it either, alrigh’? Ya gotta tell me why yer so upset or it ain’t never gonna be resolved.”

He turned around in Robin’s arm, creating enough space for the frog in his hand and furrowed his brow in thought. Robin moved one of his hands up to the nape of Jeremy’s neck and played with his hair as he thought. 

“I’ve just been around so much violence…” Jeremy started. “When Bailey and I stopped seeing each other, he outed Fish, Levi, and I to the house. All anyone wanted to do was kick the gay kids’ asses. Levi was able to hold his own against everyone for the most part and when he wasn’t watching his own back, he was keeping everyone off Fish. I was pushing Fish’s shoulder back into place a couple times a month and I learned how to stitch up cuts after they came at Levi with a knife when they realized he wouldn’t go down without a fight.” 

Robin cupped Jeremy’s cheek in his hand, wiping away the stray tears running down his face and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. He stayed silent, letting Jeremy collect his thoughts and continuing to wipe stray tears that slipped from his eyes.

“I guess I always thought that when I left that environment, I wouldn’t have to watch my friends get hurt anymore,” Jeremy explained, looking at him with heartbreak written all over his face.

“I know dat I messed up today, Shorty.” Robin pressed his forehead against Jeremy’s. 

Jeremy’s eyes flickered across Robin’s face before closing again for a moment. “I don’t want to see anyone hurt again.”

“It’s not gonna happen again,” he assured. “Well, not as long as yer safe, alrigh’? I never want ya ta feel dose kinda feelin’s ever again, but if someone’s hurtin’ ya, I can’t promise dat I’m not gonna defend ya.”

“You promise that’s the only time anything like that’s ever going to happen again?” Jeremy asked, balling his fist up in Robin’s shirt to pull him closer. 

Robin nodded. “I promise ya, Shorty.” 

Jeremy lifted his chin just enough to connect his lips with Robin’s and Robin’s arm curled around his waist, deepening the kiss for just a moment before a loud ribbit echoed around the elevator and Jeremy pulled back enough to check on the frog in his hand. 

“That’s the first time I’ve heard him make a noise,” Jeremy said excitedly, looking the little orange guy over again. 

“Yer not bringin’ him ta t’e midterm with us, are ya?” Robin asked, starting the elevator again. 

“His tank’s not done yet…” 

Robin grinned. “Holliday’s gonna love dat.” 

When they arrived at Robin and Nicole’s dorm, Jeremy followed him inside, feeling significantly better than he’d thought he would after their conversation. Robin dug through the closet, looking for a shirt and then collected Nicole’s crutches and backpack from beside her bed. 

“What’s wrong with Nicole’s knee?” Jeremy asked, thinking about her limp for the first time since he’d met her. 

Robin glanced at him as he pulled a blunt from the first aid kit and shrugged. “She hurt it a lil less dan a year ago.”

“How’d she hurt it?”

“She don’t like when I talk ‘bout it,” Robin mumbled, kissing the side of Jeremy’s head before he closed the door and started back towards the elevator. “Her story ta tell if she ever wants to.”

Jeremy’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Is she alright?” 

“Struggles with it sometimes, like when shite like dis happens, but it ain’t nothin’ she can’t deal with. She’s been through worse,” he assured. “Why do you ask?”

“I just started thinking about it when I saw the crutches. I had a pair of crutches like that for a year after the car accident and I still keep some in the closet for the bad days. It’s not fun when you have to keep them around to be able to walk.” 

Robin looked down at him as they got into the elevator. “I didn’t realize ya was hurt in t’e accident.” 

“I mean… I couldn’t get out because more than half of my body was crushed,” Jeremy said, absently observing the frog for what had to have been the thirtieth time. He looked up at the deep frown on Robin’s face when the elevator started moving and wrapped an arm around him. “I’m alright now, Babu. It just makes me a little sore when it rains or gets really cold.”

“Bet dat means dat Canadian winters ain’t no fun fer ya.” 

“Heating pads are my best friend,” he agreed.

The elevator doors opened and they left towards the dorm, seeing Chrissy standing outside the door with her arms crossed and a pout on her face. “They kicked me out,” she whined when she noticed them. “Oh my god! Is that a frog?” 

Jeremy held the frog closer to his chest and backed away when she reached out for it. “ _Not for you_.”

“Oh c’mon, _Jer Bear_! Lemme hold it.” 

“I ain’t even got ta hold it yet and I’m it’s second dad. Ain’t no way yer holdin’ it ‘fore me,” Robin warned, walking past her and into the dorm. 

Chrissy stuck out her bottom lip at Jeremy before he followed Robin inside. “Jeremy got a frog!” she yelled, darting inside before Jeremy had the chance. 

“He’s gotta what now?” Nicole asked, peering over Waverly at him as he stepped inside. “Oh no, do _not_ let dat ting near me.”

Waverly gasped, crawling off the bed towards him. “But Nic! It’s so cute!”

“If ya bring it over here, someone’s gettin’ hit.”

Robin shook his head at her. “Aye, ya done enough o’ dat today.”

“Ya know I ain’t ever liked dem slimy bastards!”

“Probably ‘cause I used ta put dem in yer lunch box when we were kiddies,” he chuckled, throwing her the shirt he’d brought for her and leaning the crutches and backpack against the end of the bed. 

She shot him a glare. “Yer bloody right dat’s why. Scared the shite outta me.”

“Dat’s what I’m here fer, ain’t it?”

“What’re ya gonna name it, Jer?” Waverly asked, still looking at the blob of orange frog in his hands. 

“I don’t know yet… What do you think, Babu?” he asked, looking up at Robin. 

“Babu…” Waverly’s eyes flickered between them rapidly and then she looked around to Chrissy and Nicole, seeing that they were completely unfazed by what had just been said. “Did you just call him baby in Hindu?”

“What?” Jeremy asked quickly, his face turning red when Robin’s eyebrow raised and his lips twitched in a smile. “I don’t-” 

“I tink ya just outed us ta Babycakes,” Robin teased, slapping Jeremy’s ass.

“So it’s _not_ Kennedy!” she gasped. 

Jeremy rolled his eyes, shoving Robin’s shoulder. “I could have told you that… _oh wait,_ I _did._ Dozens of times!”

“I thought you were just saying that!”

Robin chuckled, wrapping his arms around Jeremy from behind and resting his chin on his head. “Well now ya know who I’ve been tryna get into t’e dorm, aye?”

Her eyes widened as she pieced more of it together and she looked towards Nicole and Chrissy. “So you two knew about this?” 

“Jer’s over pretty much all t’e time yer not. It’d be kinda hard fer dem ta keep dat from me, if we’re bein’ honest,” Nicole admitted, nudging Waverly to get her to help her out of her hoodie. 

“After I found out that Robin was gay, I noticed the googly eyes they give each other and I just had a feeling,” Chrissy said, still eyeballing the frog. “Can I please hold it?” 

Robin felt Jeremy tense in his arms and he shook his head. “Afraid not, Love. We all gotta run ta our midterms now or we ain’t gonna make it in time.”

Chrissy’s bottom lip quivered a little but she nodded and grabbed a bag with a yoga mat. “Next time I see you, I’m holding the damn frog.”

Jeremy nodded cautiously. “We’ll see.”

“I getta hold it first, t’ough,” Robin said, kissing his cheek before moving to help Nicole off the bed. “Ta Pop Culture, aye?”

“Where ya headin’, Love?” Nicole asked Waverly. 

Waverly dropped all the used gauze from Nicole’s face in the trash and picked up a duffle bag and yoga mat with a huge smile. “Yoga!” She stood on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss to Nicole's lips. “Take care of her, Robin, or I’ll kill you myself.”

“Dat’s me job, Babycakes,” he told her, helping Nicole with her crutches and then moving towards the door. “Have fun in yoga, yeah? Don’t stress over Nic, we got ‘er.”

“Just so you know, she’s staying with me tonight which means you two have the dorm tonight,” Waverly said, winking at the two.

Robin grinned at Jeremy, wiggling his eyebrows, and Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. You’re gonna be doing damage control tonight.”

“Ya mean cuddles and french fries?”

“And helping set up a temporary frog enclosure in your dorm,” he added.

 _“Absolutely_ _not_!” Nicole argued, following them out of Waverly’s dorm. “No frog in me gaff!”

Jeremy frowned, holding the frog closer to his chest. “Champ’s gonna be in my dorm tonight and I don’t want to leave him alone with him.”

Robin waved her off. “We’ll keep it on me side o’ t’e room. Don’t ya worry ‘bout it, Kid.”

“If it touches me shite, I’mma kill both o’ ya’s,” she warned. 

Chrissy grabbed Waverly’s elbow and pulled her towards the stairs. “Let’s go. We’ve got five minutes before class starts and we’ve got a lot further to go than they do.” 

“Bye, Bub,” Waverly smiled, squeezing her arm. “Good luck on your midterm. I’ll meet you when you’re done, alright?”

Nicole smiled at her. “Lookin’ forward ta it, Love. Have fun in yogy.”

“ _Yoga_ ,” Jeremy corrected.

“Whatever,” she grumbled.

“It’s cute no matter how she says it,” Waverly cooed.

Chrissy made a loud gagging noise and grabbed Waverly’s arm. “Let’s _go,_ Waverly!”

After Waverly and Chrissy had left down the stairs, Nicole, Robin, and Jeremy filed into the elevator. Nicole stood in the corner, leaning on her crutches and glaring at the frog in Jeremy’s hands while he leaned back against Robin’s chest. 

“Ya feelin’ alrigh’?” he whispered when he noticed Jeremy was zoning out like he did when he was thinking too much. 

“Champ’s in this class… and I don’t want anyone to get hurt this time. I don’t want him to try and take the frog either. I know it’s technically his, but Xavier said he wasn’t allowed to keep it so-” 

Robin swallowed a lump that immediately formed in his throat and watched the frog shift in Jeremy’s hands. “Dr. Holliday ain’t gonna let no one get hurt, Shorty,” he said, running his fingers up and down Jeremy’s arm. “I ain’t gonna let him hurt yer froggy either.”

Nicole let out a loud sigh and looked to Jeremy with a small smile. “I may be disgusted by t’e frog, but I’ll beat Chump with me crutches if he tries ta take t’e slimy bastard from ya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Champ got yeeted, yell at us if you wanna :)
> 
> Also FROG! We've been planning frog for so long and I'm so excited for orange blobby boi


	17. I’m Gonna Shove Me Crutch Down Yer T'roat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aftermath...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's poppin'
> 
> First of all, if you're an asshole that didn't read AJ's chapter, I would go do that (And I would START doing that cause if you come at us all confused in the comments cause of it, I'll be pissed)  
> All the assholes gone?  
> Alright good.
> 
> So Mr. Boy-Man got the snot beat out of him  
> Let's see how Waves feels about that, haha.
> 
> It's been a hot minute, but we're back bitches  
> Let's get it!

**Thursday, October 28th, 1993 1:22 PM**

Waverly pulled her dorm door open and let Robin help Nicole in, turning her head and furrowing her brow when she noticed Jeremy wasn’t there anymore. “Where’s Jer?” She questioned, looking back towards both of them as Robin sat the redhead down on Waverly’s bed.

Robin quickly looked towards her, standing up straight and furrowing his brows. “Whaddya mean?” 

“I mean he’s not here, Robin,” she huffed, closing the door after looking up and down the hallway. She grabbed the first aid kit and made her way back over to the two. 

“Ya didn’t notice he wasn’t in t’e elevator?” Nicole questioned, hitching a brow at all of the medical supplies that were shoved into such a tiny container. 

“He’s ignorin’ me anyway, so I was tryna focus on ya,” Robin grumbled, sitting down on the other end of the bed and pushing the gauze Waverly handed him against his nose. 

Waverly turned her head when she heard the bed shift behind her, catching Chrissy’s eye when she rolled over and opened her eyes. The blonde blinked between all of them for a solid five seconds before she sat up and roughly rubbed her eyes. “The  _ fuck’d  _ I miss?”

“Nic beat t’e shite outta Chump fer bein’ a gobshite ‘n nailed me on accident,” Robin mumbled.

“Oh,  _ hell  _ yea!” Chrissy grinned. 

_ “Not  _ hell yea,” Waverly snapped as she pulled the desk chair over and sat in front of Nicole. 

Robin let out a huff, “C’mon, Babycakes. Ya gotta be at least a  _ wee bit  _ glad. Ya know  _ damn well _ he had it comin’!” 

The brunette threw him a sharp glare as she began to wipe Nicole’s face down with a peroxide-dampened gauze. “I don’t have to be happy about  _ anything _ . She could have gotten  _ hurt- More  _ hurt than this. And  _ you  _ could’ve, too . . . If you would have just  _ listened  _ to us in the first place when we told you to stop, we wouldn’t be here right now.” 

_ “Aye,” _ Nicole said, a little harsher than she meant to. Waverly looked back towards her, brows dipping at her tone. “I made my  _ own  _ feckin’ decision, Waverly. It ain’t got  _ nothin’  _ ta do with what he  _ did  _ and  _ didn’t  _ do.” 

“Oo, first fight,” Chrissy mumbled from behind them.   
_“Chrissy!”_ Waverly snapped in time with the glare the blonde got from Nicole. “Go.” 

“Go where?” She mumbled. 

“Somewhere! Somewhere that’s not here!”

Chrissy let out a groan, climbing off her bed and heading towards the front door.  _ “Fine.”  _ The door slammed behind her, and Waverly let out a breath, pressing a little too hard on the cut below Nicole’s eye.

_ “Ow,”  _ she grumbled, shoving her hand away. 

She dropped her hands to her lap, leaning back in her chair and looking up at the ceiling for a few seconds. “Sorry, I’m just-” 

_ “Overreacting?”  _ Robin mumbled under his breath.

Waverly let out a hurt huff as she lifted her head to look at him, seeing the daggers Nicole was shooting him. “Sod off,” she muttered. “T’e both o’ ya.”

Robin rolled his eyes, scooting back on the bed to lean back against the wall. “Look, all I’m sayin’ is dat Nic coulda hurt ‘em a  _ whole  _ lot more dan she did, so ya can feck off with yer  _ world peace _ shite.” 

The redhead slowly looked towards him with wide eyes, tipping her head. “Really?” 

He scoffed, “Yer tellin’ me ya  _ didn’t  _ go easy on ‘em?” 

Nicole rolled her eyes, looking back forward. “Course I did.” 

“Why?” Both Robin and Waverly asked in unison. 

“Can we jus’  _ not  _ talk bout dis anymore? Please?” Nicole wiped under her nose, going to wipe the blood on her fingers on her hoodie, but Waverly caught her hand and wiped them off with the gauze instead. 

“Fine,” the brunette sighed, tipping Nicole’s chin up and continuing to clean her face like she had been before. 

Robin let out a loud exhale and scooted back off the bed. “I’m gonna go fetch yer crutches.” 

“Aye.” Nicole caught his wrist. “What’s yer deal?” 

“I’m jus’ . . . worried about Jer. Don’t know where t’e feck he ran off ta, so it ain’t like I can jus’ go talk to ‘em.” 

The redhead let go of him with a sigh. “He’ll come around.” 

“He probably just needed to cool off,” Waverly added. 

Robin slowly nodded, pushing a hand through his hair as he turned towards the door. “Need anythin’ else from t’e gaff?” 

“Another jumper maybe?” Nicole said as she pointed down at her white hoodie with bloodstains staining it. “Don’t need ta be walkin’ round like dis.” 

_ “And  _ your backpack for midterms,” Waverly added.

Nicole raised her brows at her in realization before looking to Robin. “And dat.”

“Crutches, jumper, ‘n backpack. Gotcha.” He pulled the door open and Nicole gave him a small smile as a thank you before he closed it behind him. 

The redhead pulled her eyes from the door and looked into Waverly’s, brow saddening when she noticed how she wouldn’t look at her directly as she finished cleaning the blood off her face, dropping the pile of gauze onto the floor and grabbing a tiny tube of surgical glue out of the box. Nicole stopped her hands as she pulled the sleeves of her red sweater up, dropping her hands to rest on her knees that were exposed below the hem of her black skirt.

“No,” Waverly mumbled, twisting the cap off of the glue and continuing to avoid her eyes as she leaned closer to her face and tipped her head to the side. 

“Wh- I didn’t even say-”

“I’m not talking to you until I’m done,” she grumbled. “Now stay still.” 

Nicole pursed her lips, but complied, allowing her to close the gash on her cheek with no complaints or whining. Waverly closed it as well as she could before she put a bandaid over it, running her thumbs down either side of her nose to make sure it wasn’t broken. She wiped her lip off again before putting only a little of the glue on it even though it probably didn’t need it. It would scar over cleaner this way, though. She dropped the glue back in the container and grabbed some antibiotic ointment, dotting it over every other scrape and cut on her face before taking her hands and cleaning the blood off, rubbing some of the ointment on the one knuckle that split, placing a bandaid over it as well. 

“Make a fist,” she said when she grabbed her other hand again, holding onto her wrist. Nicole did so, cocking her brow at her as she ran her finger over the heavy bruising around the knuckle of her middle and ring finger on that hand. “Open.” Nicole opened her hand, raising her brows when Waverly looked up and met her eyes for the first time in a while. “How much does that hurt?” 

Nicole shrugged, “Hardly. Why?” 

She dropped her eyes again, running her thumb back over her knuckles. “Making sure it’s not broken.”

“I’m fine, Babe,” Nicole assured in a mumble, nodding when Waverly looked up and met her eyes with a tightly furrowed brow. “Ain’t nothin’ I can’t handle.” 

Waverly let out a quick breath with a shake of her head. “Yea, well, I can’t handle it.” 

Nicole dropped her hands back to her knees, taking one of her hands that was already resting there and giving it a gentle squeeze. “I promise ya, I’m fine, Dear.” 

The brunette shook her head as she looked down for a moment, raising it with tears in her eyes. “I didn’t  _ think  _ you were gonna be  _ fine, _ Nicole. Do you understand that? You  _ scared  _ me. A whole  _ fucking  _ lot.” 

“And I said I was sorry fer dat,” she mumbled. “But it woulda happened no matta if ya were dere or not. I was  _ tired  _ of it. Now maybe he’ll know not ta fuck with me.”

“Do you even know what he’s a part of?!” Waverly questioned as a tear rolled down her face. Nicole tipped her head in confusion. “He’s in The Rat Pack.” 

“T’e feck’s T’e Rat Pack?” 

Waverly’s brows shot to her hairline. “You  _ haven’t  _ heard of them?”

“I jus’ got here not even two months ago, Love.” 

She dropped her head to her hands, muttering something under her breath as she rubbed her face for a moment. “They’re a group of the school’s hockey jocks that are  _ known  _ for going around and date raping the underclass girls, beating up guys they think are gay, and ganging up on anyone that tries to either snitch on them or mess with anyone in their group.” Nicole’s eyes widened and she clenched her jaw as she looked down at her hands. “Do you understand why I told you  _ not  _ to mess with him now?” 

The redhead looked back up at her with a sigh, “Ya  _ really  _ think I’m scared of a bunch o’ pussybucks?” 

“I’m  _ serious.  _ They could . . .” Another tear fell as her voice softened. “They could really hurt you, Bub.”

Nicole shook her head, taking her face in her hands and slipping her thumbs under her glasses to wipe her tears. “It’ll be alrigh’. Dey ain’t gonna hurt me.”

Waverly let out a teary scoff, “10+ hockey players against  _ one  _ of you?! You don’t think they’re gonna win in a fight?” The redhead chewed her lip, loosening her grip on Waverly’s face and letting her hands slide off as she dropped her eyes. Waverly pulled her head back a little, narrowing her eyes at her reaction just then. “Ok . . . Either you’re  _ really  _ full of yourself or . . . Robin meant something else when he said that you took it easy on him.”

Nicole let out a sigh, giving her a small smile when she scooted back on the bed to lean against the wall, dropping her hand to rest on her knee that was now straightened. “I tink we all know, if anyone, Robbie’s t’e most full of himself.” 

“You’re deflecting,” Waverly mumbled. 

“I’m not deflectin’ anythin’, Baby.” 

“Instead of answering me, you changed the subject. That’s what deflecting means, and it’s exactly what you did.”

The redhead let out a little laugh, “Kinda hard ta answer when ya didn’t ask a question.”

Waverly glared at her. “Ok, then I’ll ask what I  _ know  _ you don’t want me to: What is it that you’re not telling me?” 

Nicole sighed, pulling one of Waverly’s pillows behind her back and grabbing her right leg to move it over some. “C’mere.” 

The brunette slowly did so, climbing up onto her bed and sitting sideways in between her legs, feeling her body relax into her unintentionally when Nicole wrapped her arms around her. The redhead pushed a kiss to her forehead, and Waverly let out a soft hum, leaning her head on her shoulder. “. . . You’re trying to make me forget about it.” 

“Is it workin’?” 

Waverly glared up at her with a huff,  _ “No.”  _

“Damnit,” she mumbled.

They both looked up at the door when it opened, watching as Chrissy barreled into the room behind Robin. “Jeremy got a frog!”

“He’s gotta what now?” Nicole questioned, peering over Waverly at him as he stepped inside with an orange blob in his hands. “Oh no, do  _ not  _ let dat ting near me.”

**1:58 PM**

Nicole, Robin, and Jeremy all made their way into Dr. Holliday’s for their Pop Culture midterm, and Robin stopped her at the door, poking his head around the wall and looking around the hall for a second, seeing that Champ wasn’t inside. “Alrigh’, c’mon.” The two followed and they all made their way to the bottom row of seats so Nicole wouldn’t have to go up the stairs.

“Ya’ve gotta be good, Froggy,” Robin said with a smile, looking down at the little dude in Jeremy’s hands. 

“He’ll behave,” Jeremy said as he looked up at him. “He’s a good boy.” 

“He can behave over dere,” Nicole mumbled, eyeing the frog as she stood a good three feet away from him.

“Quit bein’ a ninny, Nic. It ain’t gonna hurt ya,” Robin huffed.

“That don’t mean I want it near me,” she grumbled. 

“Why,  _ Nicole!” _ They all turned, watching as Dr. Holliday approached them. “What in God’s name happened to ya?!” 

The door across the room opened and in walked Champ Hardy with his posse of jockstraps in tow. Nicole let out a low growl and went to move forward, but Robin grabbed onto her shoulders’ from behind her. _“Aye,_ cop on, Mate.” 

Dr. Holliday turned to look, his brows raising when he saw the state of Champ’s face as one of his buddies grabbed a hold of him just as Robin had Nicole. He looked back towards them, hooking his thumb on his belt. “Well, I see who won  _ that  _ scuffle.”

Nicole grinned a little at that, but Jeremy let out a scoff. “It was a bit more than a  _ scuffle, _ Professor.” 

“Oh, I’m sure of it,” Dr. Holliday sighed, looking back to Nicole as Robin tried to calm her down. “What was it over?- Waverly wasn’t involved, was she?” 

“She was dere,” Robin answered. “But not involved, nah.” 

“Is she alright?” He questioned softly. “I know she ain’t too keen on them things.”

“She’ll be fine,” Nicole mumbled. “Jus’ shook ‘er up a bit.” 

“I mean, you did beat the snot out of a guy that’s known for never losing a fight because he absolutely  _ creams  _ everyone.” Jeremy looked around at the concerned expressions on everyone’s faces and shrugged. “What? He’s my roommate. I know more about him than I’d care to admit, like how he’s got the Canadian flag tattooed on his butt.” 

Nicole let out a disgusted groan,  _ “Mate.” _

“What?” Jeremy questioned. “He does.” 

Doc cleared his throat, shifting his weight on his feet as he looked to Nicole. “So what exactly brought on this fight between the two of ya?”

“I been gettin’ fed up with ‘em naggin’ Waves to get in t’e scratcher with ‘em, but when he called me a dyke, it t’rew me over t’e edge,” she muttered, every word coming out like it was sour in her mouth. 

“He  _ what?” _ Dr. Holliday’s eyes burned into the back of Champ’s head as they walked up the stairs across the room to go to their normal seats in the back of the hall. 

“It’s fine, Doc,” she mumbled. “Ain’t nothin’ gonna change it.” 

“Oh, I bet if I-” 

“Ya ain’t gonna do shite about it,” Nicole said, though she meant it more as a demand. “Don’t need any more trouble dan I’m already gonna have.” 

Doc was going to push against it again, but the ribbit that came from Jeremy tore his attention away from the situation. He looked towards him with raised brows, but his eyes fell to the orange blob in his hands when he brought it closer to his face. “Who’s this fine fellow?” He questioned, taking a step closer and looking down at the frog. 

“This is . . .” Jeremy looked up at Robin for a moment before looking back down at the frog. “His name is Alfred, like, from Batman.” He held it up proudly for Doc to look at and smiled. “He’s a South American Horned Frog that I kinda stole from Champ.” 

“Good on ya!” Doc said, smiling at the frog. “How wonderful it is to meet such a distinguished fellow such as Alfred the Frog from Batman.” 

“Alfred, aye?” Robin asked with a smile. “Dat suits him, I tink.”

“Nah. Slimy Bastard is much more fitting,” Nicole argued.

“He’s not even slimy!” Jeremy defended. 

“I assume Alfred the Frog’ll be joining us for the midterm?” Doc questioned. 

“If that’s alright . . .” 

The professor smiled, moving back to his desk and grabbing the stack of tests. “Any amphibian friend of yours is welcome to stay.”

**3:38 PM**

“Yer feckin’ frog kept makin’ noises t’e whole time,” Nicole grumbled, arms crossed in front of her chest as she leaned back in her chair. Dr. Holliday had let the class out early since everyone had finished their tests before the two-hour time cap, and the three were waiting for the room to clear before they left since Nicole was on her crutches and Jeremy was making sure Alfred didn’t get away from him. 

“He was just exploring,” Jeremy mumbled. 

Robin poked Nicole with her crutch, getting her to take it after she threw her backpack over her good shoulder. “Considerin’ dat  _ you  _ got done before t’e rest of us, I’m gonna go ahead ‘n  _ assume  _ dat it didn’t bother ya too much,” he mumbled, shooting her a warning look. 

She rolled her eyes, keeping a smile down as she hauled herself to her feet, wincing as she stretched her knee a few times. “Cause shite was bloody  _ easy.”  _

“I’m sure Waves’ll love to hear that,” Jeremy said with a smile as they made their way out of the lecture hall, all bidding Dr. Holliday goodbye. 

Nicole smiled softly when she looked down at him. “I’m sure she will, too.” 

“Instead of meetin’ them at t’e diner, we’re probably better off jus’ waitin’ fer t’e two of dem at yoga,” Robin suggested as they walked out the door of the social studies building. They both nodded in agreement. “So do either o’ ya happen ta know where dat’d be?” 

Jeremy let out a sigh with a smile. _ “C’mon.” _

**3:51 PM**

“Dis ain’t a real class, right?” Nicole questioned as they walked down a hall in the Performing Arts building. 

“Not a  _ class  _ class for a grade, but it’s called  _ yoga class _ ,” Jeremy informed. “If you’re in it, you don’t  _ have  _ to go. Waves just  _ loves  _ it, so she’s always there- She even leads sometimes.”

Nicole let out a surprised hum. “Ain’t it just meditatin’ or somethin’?” 

“Somewhat,” Jeremy nodded. “Though, there’s more breath control and poses than plain ol’ meditation. It’s both for destressing, like regular meditation is,  _ and  _ for bodily health cause it helps with flexibility and toning muscles, stuff like that.” He looked up at her with a raise of his brows. “You really haven’t heard of it before?” 

“Nah, I have,” she assured. “I jus’ . . . never cared enough ta pay any attention.” 

“But now dat yer gal pal does it, yer gonna be all over it. Right, Nic?” Robin asked with a grin.

She rolled her eyes, sticking her crutch out in front of his feet to trip him up as they came to a stop outside a room. There was a long skinny window beside the door that showed the inside and Nicole dipped her head to look in, mouth going slack when her eyes immediately found Waverly in the very front of the room. 

Waverly, who was dressed in pale pink leggings that were practically painted on and a matching sports bra with her body upside down in handstand splits. 

_ “Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph,”  _ she muttered under her breath after her eyes bulged out of their sockets. 

_ “Quit,”  _ Robin scolded, grabbing her arm and pulling Nicole back. “Yer gonna need a new pair o’ trousers if ya keep dat up.” 

She flicked his hand off, moving back towards the window and watching the brunette slowly drop her feet back to the floor, just as the rest of the class did with her. She didn’t notice Jeremy and Alfred were beside her until his ribbit scared the shit out of her.  _ “No,”  _ she whined, backing up a few steps. 

Jeremy looked towards her, furrowing his brow in confusion until he looked down and realized what the problem was. He shook his head with a sigh, looking back through the window. “There is no  _ way  _ I’d be able to handle advanced yoga. I could barely do the regular class.” 

_ “You  _ were in yogy?” Nicole questioned. 

_ “Yoga,”  _ he corrected again, but he snapped his mouth shut with the look he was shot. “Yea. Last year. Waves coaxed me into it.” 

“Now, I woulda  _ loved  _ ta see dat,” Robin smirked, leaning his hip against the wall beside Jeremy. "Show me some o' yer yoga poses sometime, aye?"

"Show me some of your Irish Step Dancing sometime, aye?" Jeremy mocked. 

“Ya did  _ not  _ tell ‘em about dat!” Nicole gasped. 

“Sure did,” Robin said with a shitty grin. "Told him ya were in it, too."

“I’m gonna shove me crutch down yer t'roat in yer sleep,” she grumbled, focusing her eyes back on the window in front of her.

"Oo, kinky," Jeremy said with a wiggle of his brows.

"Only with  _ you," _ Robin smirked, looking at him suggestively.

The redhead rolled her eyes. "T’e both o’ ya’s are nasty lil gobshites, ya know it?"

“Me goal in life is ta make ya t’e  _ most  _ uncomfortable at  _ all  _ times, I t’ought ya knew dis by now, Kid.” 

“Yea, well, it’s feckin’ workin’,” she mumbled. "I ain't like ta know what goes on in me gaff when I ain't dere. Keep dat between yerselves."

“I had ta learn t’e hard way dat Babycakes likes ta be choked. I tink it goes both ways ‘ere,” Robin mumbled. 

Jeremy let out a horrified gasp, eyes shooting towards the brunette through the glass. “She  _ what?!”  _

“Her and I are alike in a lotta ways, Shorty." 

Nicole let out a loud gag. “Yer gonna stop  _ right  _ dere, Robbie. No more of dat.” 

"Make me."

Jeremy glanced up at him. "Normally, I'm the one saying that."

_ "Brat." _

"I - Oh look, class is out!" Jeremy said quickly to change the subject, his face burning red.

"Thank t'e lord,” Nicole muttered, moving away from the door to make room for the group of girls coming out. They waited for some more to clear out before slipping inside and standing against the inside wall. 

Chrissy had seen them walk in, so she caught Waverly’s attention as she talked with Rosita and pointed towards them. A big smile pushed onto her face and she bounced over to them, stopping in front of Nicole and wrapping her in a hug. 

Nicole let out a quick breath, brows coming together in confusion as she looked down at her, one arm looping around her after she detached it from her crutch. “Well, hi dere.” 

“I  _ missed  _ you!” She said into her hoodie, squeezing her even tighter. “And I can’t kiss you here, so you get  _ double the hugs!”  _

Nicole chuckled a little with the air she was able to pull in. “I missed ya, too, Love. I  _ did  _ get all bruised up today, t’ough, so I’d like me lungs back before ya break me even more.” 

Waverly pulled back, letting her hands slide around to her stomach. “Ooh, sorry.” She moved her hands up to cup her cheeks gently, rubbing her thumbs under her eyes where there was some bruising forming. “How’re you feeling? Any concussion symptoms?”

The redhead shook her head with a smile. “I’m fine, quit dat.” She ran her finger down the crease in her brow, getting her to loosen it. 

Waverly sighed, looking towards Jeremy and Robin with a smile. “Hi, boys. How’re  _ you two _ doing?”

"Busy bein’ nasty is what dey’re doin’,” Nicole muttered. 

The brunette huffed, smacking her stomach. “Be nice.”

“Ya, Nic. Be nice,” Robin echoed with a smirk.

“Me crutch down t’e t’roat offer still stands,” she warned. 

"Still kinky," Jeremy added.

Waverly’s mouth was open for a second or two, but she closed it with a shake of her head. "I dont wanna know." 

“We were talkin’ ‘bout how ya like to be choked earlier,” Robin said, informing her anyway.

_ “YOU WHAT!?” _ Rosita and Chrissy screeched in unison as they approached.

Waverly stood in shock as Nicole went at Robin with her crutch, jumping on her good leg to go after him, and Jeremy was trying to keep from laughing, but the glare he was shot by the red-faced Waverly when she snapped out of it stopped him completely. 

“Did he just- Why does  _ Robin  _ know that?” Chrissy questioned. “Scratch that, why don’t  _ I  _ know that?” 

_ “Chrissy,” _ Waverly warned. 

“Answer the question, Ms.  _ Choke Me Daddy,”  _ Rosita ordered, crossing her arms. 

Waverly scrunched her face up, shoving her away with a whine. _ “Ew! _ No!” 

“Ok, so not  _ that  _ kinky,” she mumbled with a laugh after she caught her balance. “Still! Answer!” 

_ “Robin  _ knows cause he doesn’t understand what  _ knocking  _ is and Chrissy  _ doesn’t know  _ cause she’s never choked me before!"

"She ain't ever gonna either,” Nicole said as she moved back towards them, Robin pushing himself off the floor where he had previously been getting attacked.

"Who knew Waverly  _ Even My Textbooks Wear Glasses  _ Earp was a kinky bitch,” Rosita sighed with a shake of her head, dodging the hand Waverly swung her way. 

“Can we get lunch now?” Robin whined, rubbing a part on his ribs where he had been wacked particularly hard. “I’m feckin’ hungry!"

Jeremy sighed, "That means food now or Robin dies of starvation. He hasn't eaten since 10."

“Only if I’m invited,” Rosita grinned, walking towards the wall and grabbing her bag off the floor. 

"Can Rosie Roo come ta lunch with us?" Robin asked excitedly.

Rosita pushed past them, heading towards the door. "I don't care if y'all say no, I'm going with you anyway."

Nicole and Waverly watched as everyone rushed out of the room after her, looking towards each other with shakes of their heads. "I guess it's lunch time," Nicole sighed, leading the way as she followed through the door.

“Try not to beat anyone up this time, yea?” Waverly asked with a joking smile on her lips. 

Nicole let out a dramatic sigh,  _ “Yes, Dear.” _

**4:15 PM**

“Stop looking at Alfred like you wanna kill him!” 

“I could squash him with me boot if I wanted ta, but I won’t cause I’m nice.” 

Waverly smacked Nicole’s arm. “Stop being mean. He’s not bothering you.” 

“His presence is botherin’ me,” she muttered, crossing her arms as she glared at the frog directly across the table from her. Jeremy had gotten Alfred his own plate covered with a damp paper towel to sit on and he seemed to be looking back at her as he absorbed the water through it’s weird orange skin.

“Can I hold him yet?” Chrissy asked.

“He’s resting.”

She glared at Jeremy. “Boohoo, I wanna hold your dumb frog.”

“Ya called Froggy dumb, now yer  _ never  _ gonna get ta hold it,” Robin huffed.

“He’s not an  _ it,  _ Robin. He’s a  _ he,”  _ Jeremy whined. 

He put his hands up with a chuckle. “Aye, sorry, Shorty. My bad.”

“You called him an it, so now  _ you  _ never get to hold him either!” Chrissy huffed.

They all looked as Kennedy approached with their tray of food, handing it out to all of them. “Sup, fuckers.”

“Cheers, Mate,” Nicole said with a grin when she got her mac n cheese grilled cheese that she seemed to order every time they went to the diner now. 

“So are y’all going to the Halloween party Sunday night?” Kennedy asked, tucking the food tray under his arm after he handed out all of the plates.

“What Halloween party?” Waverly questioned, her brows raising in interest. 

“Every year, the biggest frat house has a giant costume party. It’s rad. Y’all should come.” 

“I’m not really the party type . . .” Jeremy mumbled. 

“We’ll be dere,” Robin said excitedly, looking up at Kennedy.

“Sick!” He grinned. “My costume will be better than all of yours, though, just sayin’.” He shot them a wink and turned away, heading back towards the kitchen.

“Will we be dere?” Nicole asked with a raise of her brows. 

“Feck yea, we will,” he grinned. “‘Specially you, Nic. Ya ain’t been to a party since ya got here!”

“I ain’t really a party person no more.”

“Nicole and I can just skip the party and hang out with Alfred,” Jeremy suggested. 

“Feck no. I’ll go ta t’e party,” she decided, glaring at the frog again. 

Robin held out his hand for a high five and grinned. “Hell yeah!” Nicole shot him an unamused look but didn’t leave him hanging, making Robin smile even more. “Yer gonna have a blast!”

“Don’t tell me what ta do.”

Jeremy looked up at Robin and stuck out his bottom lip. “I don’t like parties.”

“Ya never even been ta a party.”

“Who says?”

_ “You _ did,” Robin reminded him. 

Jeremy frowned. “ _ Fine _ . I don’t like the  _ thought  _ of parties. It gives me hives.” 

“I’m gonna be dere with ya t’e whole time ‘n we can leave if ya get overwhelmed, alrigh’?” 

“Promise?”

“O’ course, Shorty,” he agreed, patting Jeremy’s thigh under the table.

“Okay . . . I guess I’m going then.” 

“I’m gonna throw up if you two keep being mushy like that,” Rosita grumbled. 

Robin grinned and looked around to the rest of the table. “Everyone else in?”

“Well, we all know any party with free booze and drunk dudes wanting to fuck is one I will  _ gladly  _ be at,” Rosita smirked, sipping her iced tea. 

“Me, too,” Chrissy agreed. 

“I will come under  _ one  _ condition,” Waverly said. 

“What’s dat, Love?” Nicole questioned, shoving a fry in her mouth as Jeremy smacked Chrissy’s hand away when she tried to give Alfred a piece of ranch-soaked lettuce from her salad. 

“I get to make  _ all  _ of your costumes,” she smirked. 

They all stared at her for a good five seconds with wide eyes before Rosita asked the question that was hanging off the tip of everyone’s tongues. “. . . What  _ kind  _ of costumes? Are they sexy?”

“Better not be,” Robin grumbled, ignoring Jeremy’s smirk.

Waverly grinned slyly as she ran her thumb across her Winnie the Pooh wallet a few times. “Oh, I’ve got a few ideas in mind.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHRISSY COUNT: 17
> 
> Well that was a doozy. Glad everyone's chill now tho.. Well, from our gang, at least.
> 
> WHO'S EXCITED FOR HALLOWEEN? COMIN' AT YA NEXT CHAP(S)
> 
> LOOK AT THEM BEANS  
> ^ We'll take opinions on that, too, lmao (Or opinions on anything relating to any of the new info that has dropped over the past few weeks)


	18. No Sane Lad Plays t’e Bloody Piccolo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who needs a Halloween party when you've got a band concert?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So because of some technical difficulties, our Halloween chapters will be the next chapters we put out (hopefully pretty soon) so because of that, please enjoy some cute lads goin' to a band concert!
> 
> Side note: Alto sax players don't get mad at me for the content of this chapter, I'm a tenor, I play all the saxophones, Queef tortures me by screeching Careless Whisper constantly. I said what I said as a joke, you've been warned. 
> 
> Side side note: word count on this chapter before editing was 6969 ;)

**Friday, October 29th, 7:18 PM**

“I’m glad yer comin’ ta see me tonight,” Robin said, jumping into a pair of gray dress pants. 

Jeremy grinned at him from where he was sitting at the end of the bed playing on a Gameboy. “Even though you weren’t even the one who told me that it was happening and I had to ask you about it for you to invite me.”

“Aye!” Robin whined. “I didn’t t’ink ya’d wanna. It’s gonna be an hour o’ people performin’ old jazz music fer a grade.”

“Of course I wanna come see you, Babu! I’ve never seen you play before. Even if old jazz isn’t really my thing, _you_ definitely are.”

He sighed as he tucked a wife beater into his pants. “Sounds like yer sweet on me, Shorty.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes, a smirk pulling at his lips. “I can’t imagine why you’d think that.”

Robin smiled, plucking the Gameboy out of his hand and throwing it onto Nicole’s bed before pushing Jeremy back and pressing his lips against his. 

“I was gonna beat that level,” Jeremy grumbled against his lips.

“Ya can beat it later,” Robin said, planting light kisses all the way down Jeremy’s neck and sucking a hickey above the neckline of his shirt. 

“Babu…” he mumbled, running his hands through Robin’s hair. “We’re about to go into public…”

“And? I’ve given ya worse.”

Jeremy grinned at this and tugged on his hair a little to guide Robin’s mouth back up to meet his. “You wanna go perform in front of a bunch of people with your neck all bruised up?”

Robin chuckled, shrugging a little. “I wouldn’t mind.”

“No?” Jeremy asked, tilting his head and fisting his hand in Robin’s hair to help bring his head down to where he could reach his neck. Robin groaned, dropping his forehead onto Jeremy’s shoulder and letting him leave a soft trail of kisses towards his shoulder before leaving a few hickeys.

Jeremy brought his thigh up between Robin’s legs, brushing it against the tent in his pants and making him let out a soft moan. He grinned at this and took his skin between his teeth, biting him gently. 

One of Robin’s hands snaked around to the nape of Jeremy’s neck, running his fingers through his hair and tugging at his curls. There was a subtle cough near the door and Jeremy froze, knowing for a fact that Robin had heard Nicole come in.

“Mind detachin’ yerself from Robbie’s neck? Yer a bloody vampire, I swear it.”

Jeremy pulled back, looking at the marks already forming on Robin’s neck and grinned at her. “Damage is already done.”

“Yer _nasty_.”

“It makes him happy.”

Robin nodded, climbing off the bed and collecting the rest of his outfit. “He ain’t wrong, Nic.”

Nicole made a loud gagging noise. “I didn’t need ta know dat.” She glared between them for a moment but an evil smile quickly spread across her face. “Could ya taste t’e bacon cheese burger Robbie ate for dinner earlier?” 

“ _Nicole_!” Robin barked, yanking on a strand of her hair. 

“Dat feckin’ hurt, ya gobshite!” she yelled, slapping his arm. 

Jeremy looked at Robin with his best sad eyes. “You ate a moo?”

 _“Baby_ , _”_ Robin groaned, glaring at Nicole before making his way to Jeremy and sitting at the edge of the bed with him. “Ya know I try so hard not ta eat t’e meat ‘round ya, but I’m a growin’ lad ‘n I have ta 'ave a burger sometimes.” 

“You kissed me with moo in your mouth!” He crossed his arms and stuck out his bottom lip, refusing to look at Robin. 

“I used Nic’s mouthwash ta make sure ya couldn’t taste it,” Robin assured, grabbing his face and forcing Jeremy to look at him. “Don’t be mad at me, Shorty.” 

Jeremy pursed his lip, staring at Robin for a moment. “Okay…” 

Robin grinned, leaning forward a little. “Can I have a kiss?”

“It’s not in your mouth anymore?” 

Robin chuckled, pulling Jeremy into a kiss and forcing his tongue past his lips to lick the roof of his mouth. “If I do, now ya do too, aye?”

Jeremy gagged, pushing Robin away from him. “You’re disgusting and now you don’t get any more kisses tonight!”

“That’s uncalled fer!” Robin gasped. 

“I’ve been a vegan since I was a sophomore in highschool and you just put cow bits in my mouth!” Jeremy argued.

“Not t’e first time, either,” Robin grumbled, shooting Jeremy a teasing smile as he grabbed the rest of his outfit out of the closet and hung it over his arm.

Nicole shook her head at them. “Gross.”

“I agree.”

“I was talkin’ ‘bout both o’ ya, Jer,” she told him. “Yer digustin’ when yer together.”

Robin threw a shoe at her, but she caught it without even looking in it’s direction. “Ya _love_ seein’ us together.”

“I love seein’ ya settlin’ down with one bloke fer once,” she corrected, moving to the closet to pick out whatever she’d be wearing. “Not sayin’ I particularly enjoy walkin’ in on ya’s, but I’d prefer to know who’s arse I’m might be seein’ when I come into me gaff.” 

“Glad you find my ass comforting,” Jeremy snorted, watching Robin dig through the first aid kit for a moment. “Is Waverly gonna make it tonight?”

“She’s still at work, but she’s leavin’ a wee bit early so she can be dere on time,” Nicole explained, digging around the closet for her outfit for the night. “Rosie made me help her get ready fer a date she’s goin’ on tonight so now I need ta shower ta get the smell of her flowery smell pretty off me.” 

Robin snorted, shaking his head. “C’mon, Shorty. Ya gotta get ready ‘n so does Nic,” he said, handing him his Gameboy and opening the door for him. “We’ll be back in, like, t’irty minutes.”

“It’s not gonna take that-” Jeremy paused, looking between the joint in Robin’s hand and his raised brow. “Thirty minutes, bye Nic.” 

“See ya.” 

When they got in the elevator, Jeremy looped his arms around Robin’s, leaning his head against his shoulder as they rode up to the sixth floor. “I’m scared Champ's gonna be there.” 

“If he is, I ain’t gonna let him cause ya any problems,” Robin assured, kissing the top of his head. “He ain’t deserve ta see ya scared o’ him, either. Dat’s what he wants.” 

“I don’t want him to break my nose again,” Jeremy groaned, leaning further into Robin’s body.

Robin pulled back, looking at Jeremy with wide eyes. “He did what now?” 

“I mean, he’s the only person to ever break my nose unintentionally, but still,” Jeremy mumbled as the elevator opened and they made their way towards his room.

“How many times have ya had yer nose broken?” 

Jeremy thought for a moment, pulling out his key as they neared his dorm. “I think five, including the Champ incident.” 

Robin frowned at him. “I don’t like dat ya don’t know a definite answer ta dat ‘cause it’s happened so many times, Shorty.” 

“I was a gay kid in a boy’s home for seven years. I got punched on almost a daily basis at some points,” he said as if it was a normal thing. “I mean, I told you about Fish and Levi, but I was the one most of them went after when Bailey outed us because he was shit-talking me all the time.” 

He slowly pushed the dorm door open, peeking inside and then turning the light on when he knew that it was completely empty. He shot Robin a smile when they went inside, obviously pleased to have found it vacant, but the sour look on Robin’s face knocked the smile off of his face. 

“Babu…” he mumbled, taking the clothes out of Robin’s hands and setting them on the bed and then wrapping his arms around his waist. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I jus’ never t’ought I’d hear ya talkin’ ‘bout someone hurtin’ ya like dat, _breakin’_ ya like dat, on purpose. It hurts me heart.” 

Jeremy cupped Robin’s cheeks in his hands and gave him a small smile. “Did you ever noticed that my nose is crooked before?”

Robin’s eyes scanned over his face and he shrugged. “I mean, I have, but I jus’ t’ought ya got hit in t’e face with a football or someting.” 

“It really concerns that you think I would play a sport,” Jeremy laughed. “I’m the guy that managed to get a concussion from running a mile in high school.” 

A smile creeped onto Robin’s face at this and he shrugged. “Dat’s me bad.”

“Now, you finish getting ready and I’m gonna try to find something to wear, alright?” Robin nodded, grabbing a black button up off the bed and putting it on while Jeremy rummaged through his closet for something to wear. “What’s too much and what’s not enough?”

“Mm…” Robin hummed, stepping up to the closet and looking through it before pulling out a white button down and a maroon sweater and handing them to him. “Wear dis with yer khakis ‘n yer dose white shoes ya wear sometimes. ‘N bring yer jean jacket ‘cause it’s gonna be cold in da auditorium.”

“How’d you do that so fast?” Jeremy asked, digging around his drawer for his nice khaki pants. 

“T’e event ain’t super fancy, but ya don’t wanna show up in one of yer Batman shirts,” Robin explained, continuing to button up his shirt. “‘N I know what yer comfortable in ‘n dat ya get cold real fast, so I figured it’d be good ta layer ya up.” 

Jeremy smiled, standing up on his toes and pressing a light kiss to Robin’s cheek. “I appreciate it, Babu.” 

Robin’s face flushed pink and he gave Jeremy a small smile. “Anyting I can do ta help.” 

Jeremy slipped into the bathroom, putting on the outfit that Robin had picked out for him and trying to make his hair less fluffy. He sprayed on a little of a cologne that was supposed to smell like old books and opened the door to find Robin adjusting a pair of gray suspended in the mirror. 

“Oh…” he mumbled, pulling the collar of the button down out from under the sweater and staring at Robin until he turned around.

“What’s a matta?” Robin asked, reaching around and helping him fix his collar. 

Jeremy’s eyes drifted over his fitted button down with sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the gray suspenders and let out a soft sigh. “You just look really… sexy.” 

Robin grinned, gripping Jeremy’s hips and picking up to set him on the desk. He rested his hands on either side of Jeremy’s thighs and leaned closer to him. “Yer gettin’ more ballsy by t’e day, Shorty. Ya ain’t never would’ve called me sexy before.”

“I mean, have you seen yourself?” Jeremy questioned, resting his hands on Robin’s hips.

“I mean, _I_ _know_ I’m sexy. I jus’ like hearin’ it come outta yer mouth.”

Jeremy shook his head, sticking his hand in Robin’s pant’s pocket and pulling out the joint and a lighter. “Keep wearing suspenders and I’ll keep saying it,” he teased, lighting the joint and taking a small hit before passing it to Robin and blowing the smoke towards him.

He cocked a brow at Jeremy and took a hit of his own, breathing the smoke out through his nose before leaning forward and kissing Jeremy lightly. “Are ya wearing smell pretty?” Robin asked, ghosting a trail of kisses down Jeremy’s jaw. 

“Yeah,” Jeremy muttered, taking the joint between his lips.

“Ya smell like you, but more ‘n I like it,” Robin said against his skin. 

Jeremy hooked his legs around Robin’s hips to pull him closer. “I like _you_.”

Robin straightened up and took the joint from Jeremy again, shooting him an amused smile. “Ya don’t say?” 

“Babu,” Jeremy whined. 

“Hm?” he hummed, blowing rings into the air above Jeremy’s head before putting the last half of the joint out on an ashtray on the desk and leaning forward enough to press their bodies together. “Jer, ya know I like ya a hell o’ a lot.”

“Yeah?” he asked, running his hands up Robin’s chest and to his face. 

Robin rested his hands on Jeremy’s hips and leaned into a soft kiss. “More dan ya know, dat’s fer sure. Probably more dan I tink, too.” 

Jeremy felt his face start to burn and he deepened the kiss in response. Robin drug his teeth across Jeremy’s bottom lip, making him let out a soft moan. He grinned, going to do it again, but an aggressive bang on the door made them both jump in surprise and his teeth dug into Jeremy’s lip.

“Ow!” Jeremy yelped, pushing Robin back and jumping off the desk. He grabbed his lip and looked at the blood covering his finger. “What the fuck?”

“Me bad,” Robin said with a nervous laugh. “Ya alrigh’?”

Jeremy sighed and nodded. “What the fuck was that?”

“Sounded like someone was bangin’ on t’e door,” he said, peering out the peephole and shrugging. “No one out dere.” 

“Open it,” Jeremy said, sucking on his bleeding lip. 

Robin pulled the door open and gasped when a body collapsed at his feet. “Aye! Dat’s not good!”

“Again?” Jeremy groaned, moving towards the phone. 

“Again?” Robin repeated. “Oh shite! Dat’s Chump, ain’t it?” He looked down at Champ’s unconscious body and nudged him with his foot. “He looks so peaceful when he’s unconscious- ya know, I tink I much prefer him like dis.”

Jeremy shot him a glare as he waited for whoever was on the other end of the line to pick up. “Stop _kicking_ him- _Hi_ , Xavier! Champ’s on the floor again… Yeah, I don’t know. I’m getting ready to go somewhere and he’s, like, half in the hallway, half in our room… Alrighty, thanks, see you in a minute.”

“Why’d ya call Dollsy?” Robin asked, leaning down and examining the bottle in Champ’s hand. “Can I take dis? It’s good liquor.”

“Because he’s good at putting Champ to bed without any issues, and I don’t care, just don’t drink it right now,” Jeremy answered, grabbing a pair of socks covered in music notes and his white Vans. 

Robin grabbed the bottle of liquor and then found the joint and lighter on the desk and pocketed those. He sat down next to Jeremy at the end of his bed, watching him put on his shoes. “Yer wearing _music socks_ ta me band concert!” 

Jeremy smiled a little at Robin’s excitement. “I like wearing themed socks.” 

“Ya’re bloody adorable.”

They both looked down at Champ as he grumbled something about getting another drink and shifted on the floor slightly, but he didn’t seem to notice that they were there at all and it only took a second for him to slip back into unconsciousness. 

Robin wrapped an arm around Jeremy’s waist and kissed his forehead. “Ya just got all tense, Shorty.”

“I can’t imagine why,” he grumbled, tying his shoe and standing back up. He moved back to the closet, pulling out his favorite jean jacket and throwing it at Robin.

“I ain’t a bloody coat rack, Shorty! I ain’t carryin’ yer jacket fer ya.”

Jeremy stuck out his bottom lip and crossed his arms. “Please, Babu?”

“ _Please, Babu_ ,” Robin mocked, taking the jacket and folding it over his arm. 

“Seems like Hardy’s down and out for the night,” Xavier mumbled, stepping over his body and looking down at him. “It’s not even 8 PM!”

“Speakin’ o’ dat!” Robin said, standing up and joining Jeremy near the door. “We really should be headin’ out soon.” 

Xavier nodded. “I’ll get him out of your way, then.” He knelt down next to Champ’s head, slapping his cheek a couple times and earning a loud snort and grunt. “Champ,” he called. “Wakey, wakey.”

“Wha’d’ya want?” Champ groaned, eyes flickering open and glancing between everyone standing above him. “What’re they doin’ here?” he yelled, wiggling around on the flooring and kicking Jeremy’s dresser, making all of the action figures on top of it shake and sending R2-D2 tumbling over the edge. Robin reached out, grabbing him before he hit the ground and quickly set him back on top of the dresser. 

“You two should go,” Xavier said, preparing to help Champ off the floor even though he was already almost asleep again. “It’s gonna be a long night up here.”

Robin nodded, grabbing Jeremy’s arm and pulling him out the door. “T’anks, Dollsy! Have fun with Chump.” 

They quickly made their way to the elevator, hopping in with a couple of other students.

“I love your suspenders.”

Both of them looked towards a girl standing in the corner of the elevator, eyeing Robin over her glasses. Robin’s lips twitched with a smile when he looked at Jeremy’s raised eyebrows. “T’anks, love.”

She gasped. “You have an accent?”

“Seems dat way, don’t it?” He cast her a classy smile and pushed his sleeves up a little more as he looked down at the textbooks she was carrying. “Biochemistry, aye? Ya must be awful smart.” 

The girl's face burned red under the dim elevator lighting and she adjusted her books in her arms. “I- well… yeah! I guess I am.” She sucked in a nervous breath, opening her mouth a couple times before finally getting her words out. “You’re just… so tall! What are you, 6 foot?”

“6’3,” he corrected with a cheeky smile.

“Only with his combat boots on,” Jeremy added, rolling his eyes and leaning back against the bar on the wall to watch the elevator numbers go down as they got closer to the first floor.

Robin glanced down at him, obviously annoyed that Jeremy had exposed him in an elevator full of people. “How’dya figure, Shorty?”

“The only time you’re the same height as Nicole is when you’ve got your combat boots on and she’s 6’3.” 

The elevator opened and the girl laughed nervously before getting out as fast as she could, hurrying towards the library without giving either of them another glance.

“What was dat ‘bout?” Robin grumbled as they made their way back to his dorm. 

“She was flirting with you.”

Robin raised an eyebrow. “So? I have absolutely no attraction to women, Shorty.”

“I don’t like it when you flirt with other people,” he said, running his tongue across the bite marks on the inside of his lip.

“Jer,” Robin said, grabbing his arm and pushing him against the wall as soon as he was sure no one else was coming down their hall. He pressed a hand above Jeremy’s head and leaned close to him. “Ya know dat probably made dat girl’s day, right? I was just bein’ nice.” 

“It made me feel weird,” Jeremy retorted. “And I wish you wouldn’t do things like that.” 

“Well, rest assured, yer t’e one who’s gonna be gettin’ a handy from me after t’e concert tonight.” Robin’s lip turned up a little when Jeremy’s darkened with blush. “Ya know, I hadn’t originally pinned ya fer t’e jealous type until Ken, but I t’ought dat was jus’ ‘cause him ‘n I had… well, ya know.”

Jeremy ducked under Robin’s arm as a group of girls turned the corner towards them and he started towards Robin’s dorm. “For a nerd with social anxiety and trust issues, I’m just full of surprises.” Robin quickly caught up to him, digging around in his pocket for his keys. “You’re not gonna need your keys, Babu.”

“Why’s that?”

Jeremy grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open. “Because you didn’t lock the- Oh shit!”

Robin’s hand was quick to cover Jeremy’s eyes, laughing loudly while Nicole screamed at them for not knocking and slammed the bathroom door. “Jer saw yer arse!” he yelled to her.

“Ya said ya’d be gone fer t’irty minutes!” 

“And it’s been forty-two, what’s your point?” Jeremy grumbled. “You made my eyes burn.”

“Rude!” she gasped, hitting the bathroom door and making Jeremy jump. “I t’ought I had a couple more minutes… _fer feck's sake.”_

Robin shook his head, dropping Jeremy’s jacket onto his bed and putting the alcohol he’d stolen from Champ in a wooden crate under his bed that was filled with other bottles of various liquors. 

“The fact that I’ve never seen you drunk is astounding to me,” Jeremy grumbled, throwing himself onto the bed. 

“I have, ya jus’ didn’t know it.” Robin sat down next to him, leaning back against the headboard and letting Jeremy put his head in his lap so he could play with his hair and rub his back. “Shorty?” he asked softly. 

“Hm?” he hummed, letting himself relax into Robin’s touch.

“What all did ya see when we came in?” 

Jeremy thought for a moment and shrugged. “Aside from Nic’s extremely pale butt, you mean?” 

Robin snorted. “Ya, ‘sides her arse.”

“I don’t know… A back tattoo, I think.” Jeremy looked up at him. “Why? Was there something else?”

“Nah,” Robin said quickly. “Just wonderin’.”

**7:47 PM**

“Dey’re mine, anyway!” 

“Most o’ t’e tings I wear are yer’s!” 

“Dat means if I tell ya ta put someting else on, den ya should do it ‘cause yer already wearing me clothes!”

Robin scoffed. “It’s _my_ event! I’ll wear what I wanna!” Nicole stuck her crutches out in front of Robin’s legs to trip him, but he jumped over them and smirked at her. “I don’t know why yer so against matchin’ with me, Nic. We look adorable!”

Nicole glared at him. “Suspenders have been my thing since we were primary school, ya git.”

He shrugged, looking over Nicole's short sleeved, black flouncy button down and lavender suspenders that matched the lavender socks poking out between her black skinny jeans and Converse. “We look completely different!”

“Awe!” Waverly said, coming out of the Administration building they were approaching. “You’re matching!” 

Nicole shot a glare at Robin before letting Waverly pull her into a hug. “How was work, Love?”

“It was fine,” Waverly told her, walking next to them. “ _Tucker’s_ excited that I’m going to the concert.” 

“Mercedes’ brother?” Robin asked, obviously annoyed by the thought of him. “He give me t’e willies. No sane lad plays t’e bloody _piccolo_.”

The four hurried across the street to the auditorium, and Robin left them at the door to go meet with the rest of the band that was already setting up on the stage. 

“Good luck, Babu,” Jeremy said when Robin handed him his jacket. 

Robin smiled at him, hooking his fingers on his suspenders. “T’anks, Shorty. See ya in a minute.”

Nicole, Waverly, and Jeremy looked around the auditorium seating, trying to find somewhere to sit and Jeremy pointing to the row closest to the stage. “There’s Fish.”

“I forgot Levi’s in the band,” Waverly said, following him towards where Fish was sitting. 

“Hiya, Dickenson,” Nicole greeted, passing him to take her seat. 

“M’ladies!” he greeted, tipping his _favorite_ fedora at them.

Jeremy grinned, taking the hat off his head and placing it on his own as he sat down. “I missed _Charles,”_ he said, saying Charles in a British accent.

“Who t’e feck is Charles?” Nicole asked, looking around.

Jeremy tapped the brim of the hat. “That’s what Fish named his hat.”

“Awe, you named your hat?” Waverly cooed. “That’s really cute.”

Fish took his hat back, adjusting it on his head and crossing his arms. “Charles was the first Christmas present I ever got and he’s since become my lucky hat.”

“He’s worn him during every midterm and final he’s had since high school.”

Nicole gave him an odd look but shrugged. “It’s… uh, nice ta meet Charles?” 

Jeremy snorted a laugh, but the director of the band, Dr. Ewan Allenbach, had stepped up to the mic at the front of the stage before he could say anything else. 

“I’m not gonna say a lot because I know most of you are just here because your friends forced you to come, so most of you know that this performance is their midterm grade, all of them will be doing a fifteen, twenty, or thirty second self composed solo depending on what level band they’re in. So, I guess, without further ado, here’s the Calgary University Concert Band’s fall midterm!”

There was a small round of applause as the curtains opened and the band got set to start their first song. Jeremy’s eyes scanned over everyone, quickly finding Robin in a row with the rest of the saxophones, Levi behind him with the french horns. 

“Isn’t Lee cute in his suspenders?” 

Jeremy glanced at the annoyance on Nicole’s face and laughed. “Triplets!”

“I’m gonna kill ya, Chetri.” 

After several fun, high energy jazz pieces, Waverly nudges Jeremy, pointing to the corner where Dr. Holliday was standing with his eyes closed and a smile hiding under his mustache. He was swaying slightly, his foot tapping to the music and a flask in his hand. 

“Is he drunk?” he whispered.

“I don’t know, he drinks during classes a lot, so I think he just likes the music,” Waverly told him, watching him sway to the music for a moment longer until the song ended and his eyes opened. He glanced towards them and tipped his hat before taking a swig from his flask. “Looks as sober as normal to me.”

Jeremy nodded. “Who knew Dr. Holliday was so into jazz?”

“That’s gonna conclude our ensemble pieces for the night,” Allenbach announced. “We’re going to give everyone a second to prepare for their solos and we’ll wrap up the night with those, alright?”

While everyone was getting ready for the solos, Jeremy caught Robin’s eye as he prepared and mouthed, “You’re really hot,” at him. Robin chuckled, snapping his suspenders and winking before Allenbach got back up to continue conducting. 

The band started solos in the front of the rows with piccolos and flutes. 

“Tucker's staring at you…” Jeremy mumbled when he stood for his fifteen second solo

“Yeah, I can see that,” Waverly replied, looking away from the stage when Tucker didn’t stop staring at her after his solo.

“Is he makin’ ya uncomfy?” Nicole asked her, glaring daggers at Tucker. “I’ll puck 'em right off t'e stage.”

Waverly grabbed her arm to try and calm her down. “He does things like that sometimes. He’s just a creepy little dude.”

“Why’re guys always creepy at ya?” she grumbled.

“‘Cause she’s _pretty_ ,” Jeremy cooed, ruffling Waverly’s hair.

Waverly slapped his arm and ran her fingers through her hair. “ _No,_ it’s because dudes are _gross.”_

“Wow, thanks,” Fish and Jeremy both mumbled, leaning back in their chairs.

“You two don’t count,” she huffed. 

Fish raised his eyebrow at her. “Well, that sure makes it better.”

“Shut up!” Jeremy whisper-yelled, grabbing both of their wrists. “Babu’s next!”

A saxophone player sat down after a solo and Robin stood, smiling a little before starting his solo. Nicole groaned as soon as it started, muttering something about her having already heard this piece fifty different times and Waverly elbowed her until she shut up. 

The piece reminded Jeremy of something that Robin would have played on his record player before. It was soft and melodic, but with a classy jazz beat that he recognized as something that Robin hummed when he was studying or distracted. 

He kept his grip on Fish’s wrist, shaking it around in excitement while he watched Robin play. He didn’t need to shake Waverly’s wrist though, since she was already bouncing from her own excitement from seeing her friend on stage. 

When Robin sat back down, Jeremy couldn’t force the smile of his face. Robin was watching him, a smile on his face as well, growing even wider when Jeremy released his hold on Fish to give him a quick thumbs up. 

“He did good ‘n he got t’e long solo,” Nicole admitted, cranking a disposable camera that Jeremy hadn’t even noticed she’d been holding. “He always does his best when he’s in front o’ a whole lotta people. Performer at heart, ya know?”

“And he looks so cute with his little saxophone!” Fish agreed. “It’s so small compared to his big ol’ body.” 

“I tried ta get him ta play t’e tenor, but fer some reason he likes t’e screechy one more,” Nicole mumbled, watching the next couple people play. 

The solos dragged on, Levi’s twenty second french horn solo going off without a hitch while Fish watched him with admiration and love in his eyes. 

“That fact that you still look like you’re listening to him play for the first time after going to every band concert, contest, and parade he’s been in since fifth grade is honestly really cute,” Jeremy said, stealing Charles the fedora back from him and placing it on his head.

“I could never get bored of listening to him play,” Fish said, taking a deep breath and waving at Levi from his seat. “He loves it, I love him, it goes hand and hand.”

Jeremy looked back up to the stage to see Robin looking at him again and he smiled, patting the top of his head. Jeremy laughed, tipping Charles at Robin. Fish shook his head, snatching the hat back off Jeremy’s head. “Don’t make moves with Charles. That’s not what he’s for.” 

“He’s a good luck hat!” 

Fish raised an eyebrow and flicked Jeremy in the neck. “Judging by the extensive hickey collection the two of you have gained, I’m gonna go ahead and say you don’t need any luck with Robin.” 

**9:17 PM**

After Allenbach had done a final speech, everyone cleared from the auditorium, heading into the lobby to wait for the people they’d come with while Fish, Nicole, Waverly, and Jeremy waited by their seats until everyone but Levi and Robin had left for the lobby. 

Robin hopped off the stage, immediately pulling Jeremy into a hug and nearly lifting him off the ground. “T’ank ya fer comin’ tonight.” 

“I couldn’t be more glad that I did,” Jeremy said into his neck. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Ya are?” 

Jeremy pulled back enough to look Robin in the eyes. “Of course, Babu. Your solo was so good! I can’t believe you wrote that yourself.” 

“It’s his only talent,” Nicole mocked from behind them. Robin flipped her off and she chuckled, limping forward and ruffling his hair. “Dat was t’e best ya’ve ever played dat, ya know?” 

“It’s ‘cause I wanted ta impress Shorty,” he said softly, taking Jeremy’s hand and kissing his knuckles. 

“You definitely did,” Jeremy agreed. “I’m, like, so musically turned on right now.”

“Dat’s always me goal.” 

“Hello, Waverly.” 

Everyone jumped a little, Waverly in particular when she turned around, her face only a couple inches from Tucker Gardener’s chest. She back up into Nicole’s chest in surprise, almost tripping on her crutches. “Hi, Tucker…” 

“It was nice to see you tonight,” he drawled, eyes staying completely fixed on her. 

“Ya sure were starin’ at her, Mate,” Nicole grumbled, earning an elbow from Waverly.

Waverly shot him a nervous smile. “You did really good tonight.”

“I know I did.” 

“Alrighty, we’re gonna go,” Levi said, pushing Fish in front of him as they rushed towards the exit. “Nice to see everyone!” 

“I tink ya betta follow deir lead, Mate,” Robin told Tucker, stepping a little in front of Jeremy. 

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Tucker said, before turning and walking away from them without another word. 

When Tucker was out of earshot, Nicole wrapped an arm around Waverly’s front and shook her head. “I already wanna kill dat lad 'n I’ve only met him once.”

“Ya ain’t killin’ nobody else,” Robin said, hardly registering what he’d said until he looked around at the shock on everyone’s faces. “I mean- like after Chump, obviously. ‘Cause she almost killed him- Not like she’s ever actually killed anyone or anyting ‘cause dat would jus’ be- Why would she have… I’mma shut up now.” 

Nicole let out a grunt as she shifted on her feet. “Me knee’s botherin’ me, Love. Ya wanna head back ta yer’s?” Nicole asked Waverly. “Chrissy ‘n Rosita went on a double date so I doubt she’ll be dere.” 

“Of course, Bub,” Waverly said. “Night guys!” 

Robin and Jeremy waved them off and Robin turned towards him. “What’re we doin’ with t’e rest of t’e night, aye?” 

Jeremy thought for a moment before smiling a little. “Why don’t we head back to your dorm and finish off the bottle you took from Champ? We have a little celebration for your incredible performance tonight… just you and me?” 

“Are ya sure?” Robin asked, resting a hand on Jeremy's hip. “I don’t get drunk real easy ‘n yer still kinda high.” 

“Who says?” 

“Me ten years o’ gettin’ high ‘n gettin’ other people high.” 

Jeremy pursed his lips. “Alright, I’ll take your word on that one.” 

“If ya wanna get drunk, I ain’t gonna stop ya, but t’e most yer gettin’ outta me tonight is a wee buzz so I can watch over ya.”

**11:03 PM**

Jeremy lifted the bottle back to his lips, taking a swig before passing it back to Robin. When he’d taken another drink, he pulled Jeremy a little closer to him and ran his hand absently up and down his back. Jeremy adjusted his head on Robin’s chest and smiled, breathing in the smell of weed and vanilla.

They’d been almost completely silent since they’d arrived back in Robin’s dorms, doing nothing but enjoying each other’s calm company.

“Babu?” Jeremy called to him, looking up a little. 

“Hm?”

“What’re you thinking about?”

Robin forced his eyes away from where Jeremy’s hand was tracing small shapes on his chest and looked at him for a moment. “What’d’ya mean?”

“You’re drifting… That’s what Waverly calls it when I start thinking too much and get myself into a bad place,” he explained. “Your jaw’s all clenched and you’re gritting your teeth like you do when you’re thinking about something you don’t wanna be thinking about.”

“Oh… uh,” Robin stammered, forcing himself to unclench his jaw and taking another swig from the bottle on the nightstand. “It’s nothin’ really. Jus’ tinkin’ ‘bout ya, really.”

“Me? What about me? Did I do something?”

Robin shook his head. “Nah, Shorty, nothin’ like dat. More worryin’ ‘bout… ‘bout me not bein’ good fer ya.”

Jeremy’s face dropped and he quickly sat up on his knees, taking Robin’s hands in his. “Why would you say that, Babu?”

“It’s jus’... yer so innocent, Shorty. Ya ain’t smoked ‘fore last week ‘n I ain’t never seen ya drink nothin’ but wine while I was ‘round til tonight,” Robin rambled. “I worry dat ya only did dose ting’s ‘cause ya felt like it’s someting I wanted ya ta do.” 

“You know that I’m uncomfortable with most things, and therefore, don’t do most things. If I don’t like something, or don’t want to do something, I’m not gonna do it.”

Robin let out a loud huff and took another swig. “But Bailey took advantage o’ yer heart, Jer. I don’t wanna ever take yer goodness fer granted.”

“I like to think that I learned my lesson after Bailey. I do things for me now,” he assured, kissing Robin’s knuckles. “Like I didn’t smoke because you wanted me to, I did it because I wanted to know if it’d help my anxiety, and low and behold, I got through all of my midterms and only cried _twice_.”

Robin cupped Jeremy’s cheeks in his hands and pulled him down so that their faces were only inches apart. “You’re too good ta let me corrupt ya, Shorty.” 

“And you’re too good to corrupt me. You let me be me, and I can never express how much I appreciate that.”

“Why’re ya so smart even when yer drinking?” Robin asked. 

“I don’t know,” he admitted, laughing a bit. “Last year, I’d get drunk every night to do my homework and wake up with it finished with no memory of doing it. It just unlocks the smart part of my brain sometimes before I hit the side with no concept of acceptable behavior.” 

“Yer behavior seems pretty acceptable so far.” 

**11:59 PM**

“Are ya alive?”

Jeremy thought for a moment. “In a sense.”

“I don’t like playin’ dis game with a science nerd,” Robin grumbled, taking a sip of his Guinness and wrapping his arms back around Jeremy’s waist. “Ya’d consider everyting alive if ya t’ought ‘bout it fer too long.” 

He chuckled, resting his head on Robin’s shoulder and sifting in his lap. “Everything _is_ alive if you think about it.”

“I don’t even have t’e energy fer ya explain dat ta me,” he sighed. “Are ya a food?” 

Jeremy nodded, chuckling a little. “Your _favorite_ food.”

“So yer a spud?”

“How’d you guess?” he asked, pulling back enough to look at Robin and sticking out his bottom lip in a pout.

“No idea,” Robin chuckled, taking Jeremy’s face between his hands and kissing him gently. “I’mma change, ya gotta get up.” He pat Jeremy’s thigh and let him fall back onto the bed so he could get up. 

Jeremy rolled onto his side so he could watch Robin as he pulled his suspenders down so they hung down at his waist “You should… _that_ more.” He sat up, tugging at the collar of his sweater, struggling to pull it over his head. 

Robin closed his eyes, seeing that his button down was starting to pull up with his sweater. “Careful, Jer.”

“What?” Jeremy asked, still struggling to get out of his shirt. 

“I don’t want ya ta show anyting ya don’t-” He let out a long sigh when Jeremy started to thrash around and yelp when he’d gotten even more stuck in his shirts. “Come ‘ere, Shorty.” Robin held out a hand and kept his eyes closed as he approached the bed, eventually able to grab ahold of the shirts and start to unravel them from Jeremy’s body. 

“Why are you closing your eyes?” Jeremy asked when they’d managed to de-shirt him. 

Robin shook his head, fumbling to unbutton his own shirt as fast as he could and hand it to Jeremy without opening his eyes. “I shouldn’t ‘o let yet drink t’e last quarter o’ dat bottle by yerself.” 

“What are you talking about?” Jeremy huffed, snatching the shirt from him. “I feel great. So does Alfred.” 

“Ya didn’t give him any o’ yer liquor did ya?” Robin asked, rushing towards the enclosure that they’d set up on his desk the night before.

Jeremy scoffed, “I’m not dumb! He did try to bite me when he fed him meal worms today- Shit! Why are the buttons on your shirt so small?” 

“Are ya covered up or no?”

“Since when are you so against seeing me naked?” he whined, finishing up the last few buttons on his shirt. “Yeah, I’m covered.” 

Robin turned back around, kneeling down on the bed in front of Jeremy and sighing at the state of his shirt. “Ya got t’e buttons all wonky, Shorty.” He reached forward, fidgeting with the buttons to try and even them out. “Yer always so private with yer body, I’d feel like I was disrespectin’ ya if I let ya t’e first time ya took yer shirt off in front ‘o me be while yer… _under t’e influences._ ” 

Jeremy looped his arms around Robin’s neck and crawled onto his lap. “You’re really too good for this world.”

“I do try ta be as nice as I can muster most o’ t’e time.”

**Saturday, October 30th, 8:29 AM**

"Jaysus feckin' Christ, Robbie let 'em drink all t’e good shite," Nicole muttered, kicking an empty can of Guinness across the floor after they walked into her and Robin's dorm. 

"That was probably just Robin, actually," Waverly said, picking up an empty liquor bottle from the ground. "Guinness isn't vegan. They filter the beer with fish guts which is a fact that I learned from him, so..." 

Nicole winkled her nose. "Whatever, one o' 'em drank me Guinness and dat in itself is a crime against any Irishman... _or woman_."

"Aw, Nic, look. They're cuddling," Waverly said softly, pointing towards the bed. 

"Ya, dey're always doin' dat, Love," she chuckled. "Burns me eyes every mornin'." 

"Be nice," Waverly huffed, smacking her arm as she moved towards their closet. 

Jeremy groaned, rolling over in Robin’s arms and pressing his face into his bare chest. 

“Looks like wee Jer is _hungover_.” 

Robin peaked up over Jeremy’s head at her and held out his middle finger. “It ain’t even 9 o’clock yet, what t’e feck ya doin’ here bothin’ us fer?” he asked in an angry whisper.

“Pickin’ up some tings fer t’e costumes,” Nicole told him, tossing some things to Waverly. “Seems like t’e two o’ ya’s had yerselves a good night, aye? Did ya do it?”

Robin shot her a glare and Jeremy’s hand came up from under the sheets to flip her off. “I’m so hungover, get the fuck out before I throw up on you and all of your shit.” 

“Me bad, Mate. We’ll get outta yer hair,” she said, putting her hands up in surrender. “Well… Lemme just-” She moved to the nightstand between the beds and grabbed the curtains, yanking them open to let in the early morning light.

“What the fuck, man?” Jeremy groaned, burying his head in Robin’s chest.

Robin wrapped his arms tighter around Jeremy’s body. “Get out, Nic.” 

“We’re leavin’,” she grumbled, following Waverly to the door. “Have a nice hangover, Laddies.” 

“Babu…” Jeremy whined into Robin’s chest. 

He chuckled, pulling him flush against his chest. “How’re ya feelin’?” 

“Like my brain is angry at me,” he grumbled. “I haven’t been this hungover in a long time.”

“Ya were a wee bit crossfaded last night, Shorty,” Robin told him, pushing his hair up off of his forehead. “Probably makin’ the hangover worse.”

Jeremy let out a loud groan, lifting his head ever so slightly to see Robin’s face. “I need a coffee and a shower.”

“We _could_ do t’e shower part toget’er if ya wanted…” Robin said, smirking a little. “Ta save water?”

“ _Watch_ _it_ , Jett.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed some fluffy fluff with the boys. We got a little Champ scare, some jealous Jeremy (which is my favorite Jeremy to write), and Robin being protecc again.  
> Also... Tucker has entered the chat.  
> Thoughts on all the things?
> 
> Also!  
> Premier tomorrow! Ahhh! I called off work because of the premier because Wynonna is far more important to me lmao  
> Stay safe and enjoy tomorrow!


	19. Ya're Gonna Burn Yer Fingies Off, Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two girls, chillin' under a tree, on top of each other cause they're really gay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, fuckers  
> It's been a bit, but here's ur WayHaught! This chapter is REALLY short and I'm sorry about that, but I think it's worth it hehe.  
> (Psst, I just posted the Epilogue of YAMHP. Go check it out.)  
> Chapter length should be fixed by the next one and OH boy, get ready for it.  
> Enjoy Waverly and her costume making plus some other things!!

**Saturday, October 30th, 8:38 PM**

Waverly unlocked her dorm door, pushing it open and letting Nicole in before closing it behind her. "Alright," she said as she kicked her shoes off and grabbed two bottles of water out of the mini fridge and a bag of pretzels off the counter. She plopped down on the floor next to the bag of clothes and mountain of supplies. "Let's do this." 

"What'm I doin'?" Nicole questioned as she sat in front of her. 

"Uh-unh." Waverly pointed to her bed. "You're not helping." 

Nicole's brow furrowed. "Why not?" 

"Cause I have a  _ vision _ for how all of these costumes are gonna go, and I don't want you to mess it up." 

Nicole chuckled a little. "I ain't gonna mess any o' yer shite-" 

_ "Baby,"  _ Waverly pleaded. "I'm sorry, but I have  _ really  _ bad anxiety when it comes to these things- That's why I hate group projects." She scooted towards her and took her face in her hands. "You can sit up there on my bed and look pretty, though." 

"Waverly Earp,  _ you  _ said, ‘n I quote,” Nicole paused, mustering up her best  _ Waverly _ accent. “ _ Sweetheart, can you pretty please stay up with me tonight to help make everyone's Halloween costumes after I get off work?" _

Waverly glared at her after hearing how high, whiny, and stereotypically _ American _ she made her voice sound. "I do  _ not  _ sound like that." 

Nicole rolled her eyes with a smile. "Yes, ya do." 

"Bub!" She whined, smacking her arm. 

"Aye, I'm jus' sayin' . . . What'd ya want me over fer if ya ain't want me help?" 

"I wanted you to keep me company," she mumbled with a pouted lip and puppy dog eyes, dropping her hands to rest on the tops of her thighs. 

Nicole let out a sigh, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her lips before getting up off the floor and moving to her bed. "I  _ guess  _ I can do dat." 

Waverly giggled with a little clap, scooting back and pulling the first thing out of the bag of clothes- a red t-shirt. "Don't get comfy yet, I need your body." 

"Ya've got permission ta use me body however ya see fit," Nicole smirked. 

Waverly threw her a look as she stood up. "Down, Tiger. I just have to measure for your crop top." 

"Me what?" Nicole asked with wide eyes. 

"Your crop top!" Waverly grinned. "Stand up and take your shirts off." 

"I like where dis is headed," the redhead mumbled, getting up and slipping her jean jacket off, tossing it on the bed behind her. 

"Perv," Waverly laughed, helping her undo the buttons of her flannel and pulling it off of her. "Ok, put this on." She handed her the red shirt, turning and bending down to grab out of the box of safety pins, throwing a glare over her shoulder when Nicole smacked her ass. 

"I didn't do nothin'," she huffed, pulling the shirt on. 

Waverly rolled her eyes and shook her head, putting the safety pins in between her lips to hold as she smoothed the shirt out. "Let's see . . ." 

"Why t'e feck do I gotta be in a crop top?" Nicole grumbled as Waverly grabbed one from her lips and stuck it in the front of her shirt a little higher than the midpoint between her belly button and her boobs. 

“Because!” She grabbed all the pins out of her mouth. "Winnie the Pooh's shirt looks like a crop top on him!" 

Nicole smiled softly at her, shaking her head. "I can't believe ya convinced me ta be Pooh Bear." 

Waverly grinned, nudging her glasses up before placing the ends of the safety pins back in her mouth and continuing. "Y're gonna be adorable." 

Nicole looked down with a roll of her eyes. "Sure, I will- Aye, why's it gotta be so  _ high up _ fer?" She complained, poking the first pin she marked it with. 

"Cause I w'nna stare at y'r abs all night," she mumbled with a small smile pulling at her lips as she grabbed another one from her mouth and pinned it on the left side of the shirt. 

"Wave," she laughed. "Dat's not a valid reason." 

"It's my reason."

Nicole sighed loudly, letting her turn her to get to the back before turning back around. She had placed six pins all the way around her body to mark where she needed to cut, grabbing one of the last two out of her mouth. "C'n you hold?" She bit down on the end and wiggled it a little, raising her brows at her. 

Nicole grinned a tiny bit, cupping her cheeks before leaning down and placing her open mouth against her's, grabbing the safety pin with her teeth. Waverly let out a whine, wiping her mouth off. "Ew! You made our teeth touch!" 

"Got 'em, t'ough," the redhead smirked.

"That was  _ gross, _ Dude," she grumbled, poking her in the arm with the pin in her hand. 

"Ow!" Nicole whined, pulling away from her. 

"That's what you  _ get," _ Waverly huffed, sticking it in between the pin in the middle of her shirt and the one on the side. "Give." She reached up to grab the one she was holding with her teeth, but Nicole wiggled her brows as she quickly pulled it into her mouth. " _ Nicole _ ," she groaned. She grabbed her chin and went to pull her mouth open, but Nicole scrunched her eyes closed and moved her tongue around in her mouth,  _ swallowing.  _ "NICOLE!" She gasped, prying her mouth open and looked around in it, unable to see the pin now. "Why the  _ fuck _ did you do that!?"

"Yummy," she grinned, patting her stomach. Waverly stared at her in absolute horror for a few seconds until Nicole let out a laugh, fishing the pin out from under her tongue. 

" _ Oh my God,"  _ Waverly breathed out in somehow both relief and annoyance at the same time, reaching up and snatching it out of her mouth. "You  _ scared  _ me!" 

"Honestly, I t'ink I'm more offended dat ya t'ink I'd be loony enough ta do dat," she laughed.

Waverly shook her head at her, putting the pin in and pulling up on her shirt. " _ Gently," _ she warned when Nicole began to help her take it off. 

"I ain't nothin'  _ but  _ gentle," Nicole retorted, slowly getting out of the shirt. 

Waverly threw her a look, setting the shirt back on the floor before turning back towards her. " _ Gentle?" _

Nicole smirked a little, tipping her head as she grabbed her hips and pulled her closer. "I mean . . . Sometimes I, uh, get a lil rough, yea." 

"Oh, do you?" Waverly questioned, sliding her hands down her biceps with a squeeze. She shrugged, "I never noticed." 

The redhead grabbed her arms and spun them each around, pushing her down onto the bed and pinning her wrists above her head with one hand, leaning onto her elbow on the other arm with a wicked grin. "No? Ya haven't?" 

Waverly swallowed, but shook her head with a little smile. "Nope." 

Nicole let out a low hum, slipping her free hand up to her throat and dropping her hips to rest on her’s as she leaned down to meet her lips. "Let's change dat." 

Waverly moaned, arching up into her thigh. Nicole rutted her hips forward roughly, growling when the brunette's hands pushed against her grip on them. The redhead moved her hand from her neck, sliding it down her body and slipping it under her lacy white shirt. She slid her nails up her stomach before continuing up and pulling the cup of her bra down, squeezing her hand into her chest. "Nic," she muttered when she pulled back for air. 

Nicole added more pressure behind the roll of her hips, squeezing her wrists a little tighter as she slipped her tongue into Waverly's mouth, tipping her head some more to keep from bumping glasses as much. "Can I help ya?" She asked as she pulled back and met the brunette's darkened forest eyes. 

"You really fuckin' could, yea," Waverly practically begged, dropping her head back against the pillow as she pressed up into her thigh.

Nicole raised her brows, tipping Waverly's chin down with her finger and meeting her eyes for a few seconds. ". . . What's dat supposed ta mean, Darlin'?" She mumbled, letting her hands go after she saw something in her eyes that she had yet to see ever before. 

Waverly let out a groan, grabbing the redhead's hand that was up her shirt and forcing it against the front of her pants, letting go and pulling Nicole back to her lips by the back of her neck. 

Nicole pulled back and met her pleading eyes, letting out a heavy breath. "Are ya sure?" 

" _ Yes _ ," she breathed out, sliding a hand down her back. 

A slow grin pushed onto Nicole's face. Sure, she had  _ said  _ yes, but she could see in her eyes that she meant it, too. 

"Alrigh' den. Ya tell me ta st-" 

"I  _ will _ , Bub. Just . . . God, just do it." 

Nicole grinned a little as she moved her hand up and rolled her thumb over the button on her pants. "Do what, Love?" 

Waverly glared at her, slipping her hand up to the back of Nicole's head, pulling the black beanie off and tugging at her hair, watching her eyes fully dilate.  _ "Fuck me." _

Nicole released a shaky breath, but quickly sucked it back in, regaining her composure and nodding, lurching forward to meet her lips. She popped the button on her pants and pushed the zipper down, only having time to press her hand against her underwear for a  _ second.  _

Before the door opened behind them. 

_ "MY EYES!"  _ Chrissy screamed, smacking her hands over her face just as fast as the redhead jerked her hand back and whipped her head around to look at her. 

_ "CHRISSY!"  _ Waverly snapped, almost blowing Nicole's ear drum. "What the  _ fuck?!" _

_ "Fer fuck's sake,"  _ Nicole muttered, rolling off of the brunette and crossing both of her arms over her eyes. 

"Wow, it's almost like I  _ live  _ here or something!" Chrissy scoffed, letting her hands drop and glaring at Waverly as she closed the door and pointed to the handle, jiggling it around. "There's a  _ lock _ on this door for a reason!" 

"I  _ hate _ you. Like, so much, Dude," Waverly muttered, zipping and buttoning her pants before flipping over and pressing her face into her pillow with a loud groan. 

"Ok, well,  _ you  _ lied to me," she grumbled as she made her way into the room. "You told me you two haven't . . .  _ schtupped  _ yet." 

"We  _ haven't," _ they both defended, looking towards her with glares. 

"You sound like  _ Wynonna _ , jeez," Waverly muttered. 

Chrissy's eyes widened as she kicked her shoes off. "Wait, that was-  _ Oh." _

"Please get away from me before I have to clean your blood off the floor," Waverly mumbled. 

"I'm getting in the shower anyway," Chrissy said, putting her hands up before she grabbed pajamas out of the dresser and headed for the bathroom. "Do  _ not  _ even  _ think  _ about doing anything while I'm in here. If I hear  _ one  _ moan, someone's getting hit." She gave them one last warning glance before heading into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. " _ And put a shirt on, Nicole! We get it! You've got a Haught Bod!"  _

Nicole sat up with a sigh, grabbing for her flannel from the end of the bed, but Waverly pulled it out of her hand and pushed her back down onto the mattress, snuggling into her chest. "Don't even think about it."

**10:27 PM**

After the two had got done burning off their embarrassment, Nicole had grabbed a pillow and settled on the end of the bed on her stomach, her head turned to face Waverly so she could watch her work. 

All she had to do with Nicole's costume was cut the shirt, so it hadn't taken her any time at all. She had also cut Robin's jeans into shorts since he was, of course, being Christopher Robin, and had colored the stripes on her own tight pink crop top to match the ones on Piglet's stomach. 

Because, yea, she was planning on being the sexiest Piglet  _ ever. _

"This is gonna take me  _ forever,"  _ Waverly groaned as she continued hot gluing individual fake feathers to a brown skirt for Rosita. Though maybe not the  _ wisest  _ of the bunch, she knew Rosie would be the only one able to pull off such an outfit. 

Owl wasn't very sexy, but she was going to make it work. 

"Ya're gonna burn yer fingies off, Love," Nicole mumbled. 

"I'm being caref- OW!" She dropped the glue gun and popped her finger in her mouth with a whine. 

"I told ya," Nicole huffed with a tip of her head. "C'mere, I'll kiss it better." 

Waverly pouted her lip as she scooted towards her and held her pointed finger to her lips, smiling when she pressed a gentle peck to it. "Thank you. All better." 

**12:34 PM**

And Nicole had continued to kiss her fingers better. 

12 more times. 

"I'm going to bed, be quiet," Chrissy grumbled as she crawled under her blankets, pulling a sleep mask over her eyes and pressing her face into her pillow. 

"G'night, Chris," Nicole chuckled from her spot on Waverly's bed. The blonde let out a grunt in response, and both Nicole and Waverly rolled their eyes at her. 

"Now to  _ this,"  _ Waverly said as she pulled a long piece of foam out of the bag. 

"T'e  _ feck  _ is dat fer?" Nicole questioned with wide eyes. 

"It's Tigger's tail," she smiled. 

"Who's gonna be Tigger?" 

Waverly grinned as she threw her thumb over her shoulder in Chrissy's direction, then pulling an orange bodycon dress out of the bag. "She's gonna  _ love  _ it."

“ _ Sexy Tigger _ ,” Nicole agreed with a small smile.

"Are you bored?” Waverly asked with a furrow of her brows, knowing Nicole had done nothing but sit in the same spot for the past two hours. 

"Nah, I like watchin' ya work, Love," she assured. 

"Are you sure? You can go if you want," she mumbled. 

"Not unless ya want me to. Do ya want me ta head off fer t'e night?" 

Waverly shook her head. ". . . Can you stay over?"

"Of course," she smiled. 

Waverly beamed, picking the foam back up and beginning to glue a piece of felt around it. "Thank you." 

"Fer what?" 

"Keeping me company." 

Nicole chuckled with a sigh, "I'll keep ya company whenever ya need it, Darlin'." 

**1:10 AM**

Waverly had completed Nicole's Winnie, her own Piglet, Robin's Christopher Robin, Rosita's Owl, and Chrissy's Tigger costumes all over the course of about four and a half hours, and now she only had one more to go. 

Jeremy's Eeyore.

"Look!" She said with a smile as she held up the little tail she had just sewn the pieces of felt together for. "It's so cute!" 

"Dat's adorable, Dear," Nicole said softly. 

"I have to make the ears and then I'm  _ done _ ," she breathed out as she grabbed some more felt. 

"It all looks grand. I'm proud o' ya." 

Waverly smiled bashfully as she looked up at her. "Thank you, Baby."

"Yer welcome," she mumbled softly. 

Waverly quickly cut out and stitched together some floppy ears, attaching them to some bobby pins that could just stick right in Jeremy's hair. She looked them over before holding them out in front of her with a smile. "Done!" 

"Yay!" Nicole said with a chuckle, glancing down at the assortment of costume pieces on the floor that she was gently putting into the bag of clothes. 

"Ok. I'm gonna clean up and then we can sleep." 

"Want me ta help?" Nicole questioned. 

"If you want," she shrugged as she pushed herself up off the floor with a groan, twisting to pop her back. 

Nicole sat up off the bed and slowly stood, shaking her arms out since she hadn't moved them in a while. "What goes where?" 

"Mostly just in this bin," Waverly said, pulling over a blue tote and taking the lid off to reveal some other arts and craft stuff. She looked up at the redhead as she stretched some more. "I don't get how you weren't  _ bored _ just laying there."

Nicole smiled a little, rubbing her thumb on her cheek as she leaned down into a kiss. "Ya never bore me." 

"But still," she mumbled. 

"Meh," she shrugged as she dropped some things into the tote. "I guess ya could say I've got me a good patience." 

Waverly sighed, setting the last thing in there and closing the lid. "Ok, well, I hope I  _ bored  _ you enough to make you tired cause I'm going to bed." 

"Why, let's go den," Nicole grinned, dropping back onto her bed. 

Waverly smiled, flicking the lights off and crawling under the blankets, curling into her front. "Ni' night." 

"G'night, Love," Nicole said through a yawn. 

**Sunday, October 31st, 1993 12:03 PM**

Waverly and Nicole walked into the diner, and the brunette  _ went  _ to head towards their table, but Nicole grabbed her shoulder, pulling her towards the counter instead. "What are you doing?" She asked with a huff. 

"Hiya!" Kennedy grinned as they approached, setting a bag on the counter in front of them. "Here's your food!" 

"T'ank ya, Mate," Nicole said as she handed him a wad of cash. 

"So . . ." Kennedy started. "What's the plan for the day?" 

"That's a  _ great _ question," Waverly mused, turning towards Nicole with her arms crossed. 

Nicole smiled, leaning her hip against the counter to take the weight off of her knee. "I figured we could have a lil' date in t'e park. It's quite nice out." 

"Damn, I need a guy to take  _ me  _ on a date in the park," Kennedy mumbled. 

Waverly pouted her lip, taking a step closer to her but resisting the urge to wrap her in a hug. "You got us food so we could go eat in the park?" 

Nicole chuckled, "Looks dat way, ain't it?"

Waverly beamed, moving forward to grab the bag and running her hand down her stomach as she did so. "You're my  _ best _ baby." 

"Y'all have fun!" Kennedy called as they moved towards the door. "See ya at the party tonight!" 

"See ya, Donnie!" Nicole called back. 

"Bye, Ken!" Waverly said before the door closed behind her. "So . . . How exactly do you expect us to  _ get  _ to the park, Ms. Haught?" 

Nicole looked down at her with a dimpled grin. "Yer Jeep, of course." 

Waverly shook her head with a smile. "That's what I figured." 

**1:46 PM**

The two had eaten their lunch under a tree at the park and were now just hanging out, enjoying one another's company. It was pretty quiet considering Waverly was reading and Nicole had her eyes closed. The redhead had her head leaned back against the tree and Waverly had her head in her lap, humming every so often when she would run her hand through her hair. 

She closed the book and dropped it onto her chest, letting out a small huff as she shook her arm a little. Nicole startled awake, blinking down at her for a second before there was a gentle smile on her face. "Done with it?" The redhead asked through a yawn. 

"Yep," Waverly sighed with a content smile when Nicole's hand dropped to rest on her stomach. 

"Was it good?" 

"It was alright," she shrugged. 

Nicole nodded with a hum, slowly rubbing her thumb in patterns on Waverly’s sweater. "Dat's nice," she said as she leaned her head back against the tree, closing her eyes again. 

Waverly moved the book off her chest to the blanket beside her, swallowing as she looked up at the bare branches of the tree above her. "Were you sleeping, Honey?" 

"Yea," she mumbled. "Good, too." 

Waverly laughed a little. "How do you sleep good sitting up against a  _ tree _ ?" 

"I can sleep anywhere, Dear," Nicole chuckled. "On t'e ground, sittin' up, standin', inside, outside, cold, hot, in t'e rain, in t'e snow." 

"Bullshit," Waverly laughed with a roll of her eyes. 

Nicole smirked with a raise of her brows. "I could if I tried hard enough." 

_ "Ook,  _ Baby _." _

The redhead adjusted the beanie on her head, brows furrowing as she thought back to what the brunette had said earlier. 

_ You're my best baby.  _

"Aye, Love?"

"Hmm?"

"Are, uhm . . . Are ya seein' anyone else right now?" She asked softly. 

Waverly's brows quickly furrowed as she looked up at her.  _ "No.  _ Why would you think that?" 

"I . . . I dunno. We never really . . . said we couldn't be, 'n I jus'-" 

Waverly quickly sat up and turned to face her. "Wait, are  _ you?"  _

"No!" Nicole answered almost too quickly. "No," she repeated a little quieter. "And I don't plan ta either." 

"Oh," Waverly mumbled with a blush. "Well . . . I don't  _ want _ to see anyone else either. You're all I want." 

"Yea?" Nicole asked with doe eyes. 

"Yea," Waverly echoed with a tiny smile. "I told you, you're my best baby." 

Nicole swallowed and looked down as she picked at the blanket beneath them. "Does . . . Are we girlfriends den?" 

"Do you wanna be my girlfriend?" Waverly asked softly. 

Nicole smiled, dimples deep as she tipped her head. "Darlin', as long as ya want me, I will be by yer side." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAYHAUGHT'S OFFICIAL HOLY SHIT!  
> Yayy, Nic doesn't have to worry about that anymore!  
> Also Waves being ready to do the nasty 👀 OKAAY  
> Anyway Wynonna premiere is tomorrow get fucking PUMPED DUDES!  
> Queef out ✌️


	20. Remember Ta Wrap His Willy, Aye?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloweenie pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the Halloween chapter you all have been waiting for :)  
> Enjoy your read

**Sunday, October 31st, 1993 9:05 PM**

“Shorty?” Robin called from the bathroom. “Will ya get me some hair gel out o’ me nightstand? It’s in a tub in t’e… second drawer, I tink.”

Jeremy groaned, picking Alfred up off his chest and setting him inside the small tank that he and Robin had set up on the desk. He turned towards the nightstand and opened the second of the three drawers. Inside, he couldn’t find the hair gel because instead it was lined with six disposable cameras, all labeled with different people, places, or things on top. There was one for Nicole, band, Canadian things, mates, college, and-

“Uh… Babu?” he asked, running his finger over the camera with ‘Shorty’ scribbled across the top. 

Robin came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but his jeans with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. His eyes widened when he saw what Jeremy was looking at and he moved back into the bathroom to spit out the toothpaste. 

“I promise ya dat’s not as weird as it looks,” he stammered, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Jeremy and fumbling through the drawer for the camera that said Shorty on it. “Ya know I’ve taken pictures o’ ya with dis.”

Jeremy nodded, remembering the days that they’d gone on dates, spent entire days hanging out in one of their dorms, or been the only ones at Extra Credit Hours when Robin had pulled out the small disposable camera and insisted to take a couple pictures of him or when they’d hung out with Nicole and Waverly and he’d taken a few sneaky pictures of her when she seemed especially happy. 

“Well, I’ve done dis since I was an ankle biter. Me mam gave me first camera when I was six or so with 25 pictures on it ta teach me how ta control meself. She told me dat she’d help me get ‘em developed ‘n buy me a new camera at t’e end of each month, so I’d have ta make ‘em last all month long.”

“Were you able to do it?” Jeremy asked, moving onto the bed next to him and watching him fidget with the camera in his hands. 

“With me ADHD, it was really hard fer me. I wanted ta take pictures o’ everyting, but if I did dat, I wouldn’t get a new camera until t’e end o’ t’e month,” he explained, laughing a little when he thought back to it. “Kinda backfired on her when I turned eleven or someting ‘n I got a job deliverin’ newspapers. I was makin’ enough money to buy meself a new camera t’e same week she got me one. I always kept dose in a drawer and wrote ‘fer t’e wee tings’ on ‘em ‘cause I’d use ‘em ta take pictures o’ bugs ‘n flowers ‘n shite like dat. I’d use t’e other camera ta take pictures of me friends and me mam, pa, ‘n Reggie. Dose were t’e ones I’d give her fer development ‘cause I never wanted her ta know dat I couldn’t keep meself from taking pictures o’ nonsense.” 

“Did she ever figure it out?”

Robin let out a low chuckle and nodded. “When I was sixteen, she found a drawer filled with all t’e cameras dat I’d never had developed. She got ‘em developed when I was at school one day ‘n put all the pictures in a box fer me with a new camera and a note dat said I shouldn’t be ashamed ta take pictures o’ t’e wee tings. She got sick ‘bout two weeks after dat and it ended up bein’ t’e last camera she ever got fer me.” 

Jeremy squeezed Robin’s thigh, seeing the sadness in his eyes when he talked about his mom. “I bet she’s proud of you, Babu,” he said, resting his chin on Robin’s shoulder. 

“Bet she never t’ought her dumb ADHD exercise would lead me ta hoarding disposable cameras and having over ten shoe boxes filled up with pictures,” he chuckled, kissing Jeremy’s cheek. “I wanna have a shoe box filled with jus’ ya one day, Shorty.” 

“That’s really sweet,” Jeremy sighed, wrapping his arms around Robin’s waist and pushing him back onto the bed so he could crawl on top of him. “ _ You’re _ really sweet. Every time I learn something like that it just reminds me how lucky I am that I found you.”

Robin brought the camera up to his face and took a quick picture of Jeremy, smirking as he did so. “Every time I take a picture of ya, I’m reminded how bloody hot ya are” 

Jeremy rolled his eyes and grabbed Robin’s hips, squeezing them gently as he leaned forward so that his face hovered just a few inches over Robin’s. “Fortunately for you, I don’t need a camera to see how hot you are.” He grinned when Robin threw the camera to the side and rolled his hips up into his, taking his face between his hands to pull him down into a heated kiss. 

“I’ll never get tired o’ seein’ ya in me clothes,” Robin said, running his hands under the hoodie Jeremy was wearing, taking a fistful of his t-shirt in both hands and using it to pull them closer together. 

“I’d love to put you in one of my Batman shirts,” he said, his lips so close to Robin’s that he could feel his breath. 

“Is dat a Batman ‘n Robin joke?” 

Jeremy grinned at him. “You have no idea how happy it makes me that I’m dating someone named Robin.” 

Robin raised his eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Does dat mean we’re datin’?”

“Um… I don’t- I didn’t-” Before Jeremy could put together an answer, the door burst open and Waverly ran in, her arms full of clothes and an excited smile threatening to split her face in two as she bounced up and down in the middle of the room.

“I brought costumes!” she squealed. 

Nicole hobbled in after her, more clothes draped over her shoulders. “Put yer dicks away, laddies,” she grumbled, dropping the clothes on her bed.

Robin kept his hands wrapped up in Jeremy’s shirt, forcing him to stay where he was. “Yer just happy I wasn’t the one walking in on t’e both o’ ya’s dis time.”

“Yer damn right I am,” she said, helping Waverly sort through the massive pile of clothes. “Just so ya know, Chrissy’s almost-”

“Where’s the frog?” Chrissy yelled, kicking the dorm door open and looking towards .  _ “Ew,  _ put your dicks away and give me the frog.” 

Jeremy chuckled, patting Robin’s arm so he’d let go and then climbing off him. “He’s still acclimating, so I’m not letting anyone hold him yet. Sorry, Chris.”

Robin moved off the bed, slapping Jeremy’s ass on his way to the closet where he started digging around for something. “I ain’t even gotten ta touch Alfred yet.”

“That’s bullshit!” she groaned, looking into the tank where Alfred had buried himself under the dirt. “How long do I have to wait?” 

“Probably another couple of days. He’ll bite you if he’s nervous or not used to his surroundings, so you’ll just have to wait it out,” he explained, watching Robin pull down a box filled with what had to be 20 more unopened disposable cameras. “Why do you have so many, Babu?” 

Robin pulled one out and threw the box back into the closet. “I go t’rough ‘em really fast,” he said awkwardly, grabbing a marker and scribbling ‘Halloween’ onto the top of it. “Dis one’s jus’ fer tonight, t’ough. Nic ‘n I’s first party with our mates.”

“Ya know I hate it when ya take me picture,” Nicole groaned.

“Dat’s why ya never know when I take ‘em.”

“So, Waves,” Jeremy started, looking down at the pile of clothes on the bed. “Wanna enlighten us all as to what we’re dressing as tonight?”

Waverly clapped her hands together excitedly. “We’re gonna be characters from Winnie the Pooh!” she said excitedly. “Oh, it’s gonna be so cute!”

“Tell ‘em who everyone’s gonna be,” Nicole urged with a soft smile. 

“Alright, so, the first and most  _ obvious  _ choice is that Robin gets to be Christopher Robin with his best friend, Nic, as Winnie!”

Robin chuckled, patting Nicole’s back. “I tink she’s calling ya fat, Kid.”

“Just wait til ya see what we did ta yer pants,” Nicole said, her lips twisting in a smirk.

“I ain’t wearin’ shorts if dat’s what yer sayin’,” he grumbled, crossing his arms and shooting them both a glare.

Waverly crossed her arms back at him and tipped her head, her eyes wide with warning. “Oh,  _ yes  _ you are.”

He took a step away from her and glanced at Nicole. “She’s scary when she’s mad.”

Nicole grinned and pat his bare back. “Ya’ll be alrigh’, Robbie.”

“You’ve got good legs,” Jeremy agreed.

“What’s he bein’, den?” Robin grumbled, pointing at Jeremy to change the subject. 

Waverly found a thin piece of purple fabric with a pink fabric bow sewed to one end of it and waved it around. “Eeyore!” 

Jeremy frowned. “Why’d you make me the sad one?” 

“Because you’re small and it makes the clothes we picked baggier on you,” she explained.

“When why couldn’t you be Eeyore? You’re smaller!” he argued. 

“Wave is t’e smallest meanin’ she gets ta be Piggy,” Nicole said, wrapping her arm around Waverly’s waist and kissing her cheek. 

Waverly giggled as she tried to squirm out of Nicole’s grip. “I’m  _ Piglet _ !” 

“Same ting, Love,” Nicole said, kissing her face a couple times. “Either way, yer bloody adorable.”

“Can I put yer tail on?” Robin whispered to Jeremy when Nicole and Waverly had gotten too distracted with each other to continue explaining the costumes. 

“Can I take your shorts off you at the end of the night?” Jeremy countered, raising his eyebrow at him and making Robin grin. 

“Yo! I’m here, what’d I miss- For fuck’s sake!” Rosita groaned. “Do I need to start making out with Chrissy, too, or is someone gonna give me a costume that better be just as sexy as I am?” 

Waverly and Nicole pulled away from each other, and Waverly dug out the smallest shirt in the entire pile. It was some kind of tan mesh with sequins and strategically hot glued feathers along with a brown mini skirt covered in the same feathers. “ _ Owl _ , but make it  _ sexy.” _

“Ya fergot t’e glasses,” Nicole added, handing Rosita a pair of massive round-framed glasses to mimic the Owl’s large eyes. 

“I am  _ not  _ wearing these,” Rosita said firmly. “Not a chance in hell. I don’t know about you two, but I’m trying to get  _ laid  _ tonight!” 

Chrissy looked up at that. “Speaking of that, I’d like to know what you put together for me.” 

Nicole grabbed a very small piece of orange and black fabric and some knee high orange boots that Jeremy had unfortunately seen Chrissy wear on several occasions. Waverly then dug out what seemed to be a piece of long foam wrapped in orange and black fabric connected to a safety pin that was meant to be a tail along with an orange headband with some felt ears glued to it. 

“Sexy Tigger?” Chrissy said, staring down at the costume with intrigue. “I love that!” 

“T’ought ya might,” Nicole chuckled, smiling at her excitement. 

“Show us ours now,” Jeremy urged, eyes raking over the miscellaneous clothing items laying on the bed.

Waverly pulled out a white, short-sleeved button down along with a bright yellow t-shirt and handed them to Robin, along with a pair of light blue jeans that had been cut down so they would hardly reach his knees. 

“I ain’t gonna wear dese.” He waved the shorts around at them and threw them onto the bed. “I’ve got jeans in t’e same color, I’ll just wear dose.”

“Dose  _ were  _ yer jeans in dat color,” Nicole told him, biting back a laugh. 

“Ya  _ murdered  _ me jeans? I’m gonna bloody kill ya, Nic,” he said through gritted teeth. 

Jeremy grabbed his wrist, doing his best to keep him calm. “It’s alright, Babu,” he whispered, feeling Robin relax under his touch. “We’ll work it out.” 

Robin rolled his eyes, backing up and dropping onto his bed, clothes in hand. “Let’s see Shorty’s den, yeah?”

Waverly pulled out a large, dark blue hoodie that he’d stolen out of Robin’s closet a few times since they’d started seeing each other and a pair of light gray overalls that were most definitely Nicole's. 

“Those are gonna swallow me!” 

“Dat’s da point,” Nicole said, handing him a pair of ears that were glued onto bobby pins and the tail that was connected to a safety pin like Chrissy’s. “Eeyore’s kinda a saggy lad.”

Jeremy let out a sigh but didn’t argue with that. He looked around at the four girls and then to Robin, taking his hand and dragging him into the bathroom.

Once the door closed, Robin hopped onto the counter and crossed his arms again. “We’re outnumbered ‘n I don’t like it.” 

“Why do you think I opted to take the bathroom while everyone’s getting ready?” Jeremy asked, messing with the straps of the overalls. He looked up at Robin who was still looking down at the shorts the girls had given him with a deep frown on his face. “I don’t think they’re as short as you think they are.”

“Doesn’t matta,” he grumbled. “Rat Pack’s still gonna be dere and dey’re still gonna cause problems ‘cause I’m a bloke in shorty shorts. I jus’ don’t wanna ruin everyone’s Halloween if dey start a fight or someting. I’d hate meself if someting like dat happened when ya didn’t even wanna come ta begin with.” 

Jeremy frowned, slotting himself between Robin’s legs and wrapping his arms around his waist. “Fish and Levi are going and Kennedy is, too. Xavier’ll be there mainly as a DD for the people who get too drunk to get home, so if anything happens, it’ll be five feisty gays and a hunky RA against a bunch of drunk hockey players, and for some reason, I like those odds.” 

“Ya jus’ really wanna see me in shorty shorts, don’t ya?” Robin teased, wrapping his arms around Jeremy’s neck and kissing him softly.

“I also know that Waverly’s been working on these costumes since yesterday and Nicole doesn’t want to see anyone mess up what she’s been working on.”

“I ain’t scared o’ Nic.” 

Jeremy shrugged. “Well,  _ I am _ . So, I suggest you hop into those shorts, channel your inner Christopher Robin, and I’ll let you put my tail on me, okay?” 

Robin nodded, hopping off the counter and kissing Jeremy again before shimmying out of his jeans and pulling on the white button up. He glanced up to Jeremy as he pulled the yellow shirt on over the button up and frowned at his uneasiness. “Want me ta turn ‘round so ya can change?” 

“I- kinda…” he said nervously, his arm moving to somewhat shield his already covered middle. 

“It ain’t a problem, Shorty,” Robin assured, turning around while he messed with the collar of the button up. “Ya just gotta tell me.” 

There was a rattling of a belt and soon Robin felt the hoodie he’d been wearing hit the floor by their feet and Jeremy sighed, “It makes you feel bad when I do this.”

Robin closed his eyes for a moment and shrugged, not even knowing if Jeremy was looking at him or not. “Jer, ya know I always wanna respect yer boundaries.  _ Always.  _ I ain’t even look at ya when ya were drunk ‘n stuck in yer shirt-” 

“You didn’t?” Jeremy asked softly. “I don’t remember that.”

“I’m really not surprised,” Robin said, thinking for a second before he started speaking again. “It’s jus’- we’ve been doin’ shite only in t’e dark for weeks now ‘n ya still get so bloody nervous every time I even get close ta touchin’ yer hips. It just… worries me.” 

There was a long silence and Robin started to worry that Jeremy was going to shut down. He reached his hand out behind him and after a moment, Jeremy took it, squeezing it lightly and pulling his arm to turn him around. He leaned into Robin's chest, wrapping his arms around him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I don’t want to make you feel like I’m hiding things from you.”

Robin held him close, resting his chin on Jeremy’s head as he spoke. “I’m not tryna push ya, ‘n I never wanna be another guy ya can’t trust ‘cause I hurt yer heart,” he said quietly. “I jus’ want ya ta feel safe with me ‘n sometimes it feels like ya don’t tink ya are.” 

“I wish you knew how vulnerable I am with you,” he sighed into Robin’s chest. “If you knew me back then, even a year ago, you’d know how fucking open I am with you. Fish and Levi even noticed that I was  _ better  _ when I started seeing you and they’ve known me for almost half my life.” 

Robin pulled back and looked at the dark blue hoodie that completely swallowed Jeremy’s body. He smiled, putting his hands on either side of Jeremy's neck and letting his fingers brush over his cheeks. “Ya mean dat?” 

“I really do,” he said, resting his hands on top of Robin’s. “And I know that being with me is  _ frustrating  _ sometimes… or a lot of the time.” 

“No it ain’t, Shorty. Not one bit. I just worry ‘bout ya sometimes. ‘Bout if I’m doin’ t’e right ting fer ya.” 

Jeremy squeezed Robin’s hands and looked into his eyes. “It takes me a lot longer to get to the point of being comfortable with myself around people. I feel like I should feel comfortable with you because I feel so safe with you… I just don’t yet and I’m sor-”

“Ya ain’t need ta be sorry fer nothin’.” Robin shook his head. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere, Jer. No matter what yer feelin’ or how long it takes fer ya ta get ta dose safe places with me. I’m gonna be here as long as ya want me here.”

“Promise?”

“I promise, Shorty,” Robin said, leaning down to kiss him. “Now, I need ta put me shorty shorts on ‘cause I’d rather be wearin’ dose dan jus’ me undies.”

Jeremy faked a frown. “I mean, you don’t want to wear the shorts anyway, I don’t see why you should put them on now…”

Robin snorted a laugh and picked the shorts up off the counter. “Later, Shorty.” 

“Promise?” Jeremy teased grabbing the overalls with a smirk. 

“I promise,” he said, kissing Jeremy cheek before getting into his shorts. He sighed, looking into the bathroom mirror and messing with the hem of the shorts, trying to make them appear longer than they were. “I look like a hairy school boy.”

“You look hot,” Jeremy said as he fought with the ridiculously oversized overalls. 

“If ya find stupidly tall, mildly hairy, gay boys in shorty shorts hot, den I guess so,” he grumbled, turning towards Jeremy in time to steady him when he slipped on one of the pants leg and almost came tumbling into him. “Havin’ trouble dere, Shorty?”

Jeremy glared at him, tugging at the denim again. “Nicole’s legs are too long.”

“Her ‘n I got t’e same sized legs,” Robin reminded him, picking him up and setting him on the counter to help him roll the pants legs up enough for his feet to be visible. “I don’t see ya complainin’ ‘bout me hoodie.”

“That’s because this is my favorite one to steal from you.” 

“When ya gonna let me steal one o’ yer shirts, aye?” Robin helped him off the counter and fastened the straps on the overalls. He did his best to adjust them to the right length and make sure that the hoodie wasn’t sticking out anywhere. 

“I told you I wanted to put you in one of my Batman shirts, but I really didn’t think you’d wanna wear my clothes,” Jeremy said, tucking in the bottom of the hoodie so that it wasn’t bulging anywhere. “You have free reign of everything in my closet  _ but _ my jean jacket signed by Carrie Fisher.”

“I don’t know who dat is but I appreciate t’e offer nonet’eless”

Jeremy shot him an annoyed look and shook his head. “We’re watching all of the movies together.”

“What movies?”

_ “Star Wars, _ Babu,” Jeremy said sadly. “And you’re not allowed to fall asleep halfway through like you did when we watched E.T.” 

“Are you two done yet?” Chrissy yelled, banging on the bathroom door. “I’ve gotta put on my make up.”

There was some aggressive shuffling in the dorm and Chrissy yelled when something hit the door. “I get t’e batroom first,” Nicole grumbled. “I ain’t ‘bout ta wait an hour fer ya ta do yer makeup so I can change.” 

“Just change out here!” Chrissy groaned. 

Robin sighed, opening the door so fast that the two girls almost fell into him. “Nic gets t’e batroom first ‘cause it’s her gaff ‘n she said so, aye?”

Chrissy wrinkled her nose and backed away from the bathroom, throwing her makeup bag onto Nicole’s bed. Jeremy looked at her bright orange bodycon dress with sharpied on black stripes that left absolutely  _ nothing  _ to the imagination and the tail that was far too heavy for whatever material the dress was made out of, feeling an overwhelming urge not to look at her anymore. 

Instead, he looked at Waverly’s tight, striped pink crop top and leggings that were matched with a large pink tutu and a small, curly tail sticking out in the back.

“Ya look cute, Babycakes,” Robin told her before Jeremy could. 

Waverly turned from where she was looking into the mirror hanging in the closet and smiled with a happy clap. “Oh my god, you look so good! It’s exactly like I imagined!” she squealed.

“I almost died putting on the overalls, so thanks for that,” Jeremy grumbled, hooking his thumbs on the straps and rocking on his heels.

“Awe, but look!” She walked over to him and grabbed his hoodie sleeves, wiggling his arms around. “You’re an  _ adorable  _ Eeyore!” 

“I’m  _ saggy!” _ he whined.

Robin looped an arm around his waist and kissed his cheek. “Ya look good, Shorty.” 

Waverly looked down at Robin’s legs and smiled. “See, the shorts aren’t even that bad, right?” 

“I despise t’e fact dat you ‘n Nic t’ought it was a good idea ta put me in dese,” he retorted, letting Jeremy pull away from him to check on Alfred while Chrissy watched him intently. 

Waverly followed him to the tank and leaned against the desk, a soft smile on her face. “So . . . Nicole asked me to be her girlfriend today,” she whispered so only they could hear. 

“She did?” Jeremy asked excitedly, matching her whisper. “That’s so great!”

“I thought that already happened,” Chrissy muttered, tapping the glass a little and earning a slap on the wrist from Jeremy. “But I’m happy for you, Waves. You seem really happy.”

Waverly smiled a little more. “I am. I’m really happy.”

“Ya tellin’ secrets?” Robin asked, sticking his head into the middle of the group.

“Just talking about you,” Waverly lied, dragging Robin to Nicole’s bed and forcing him to sit down at the edge of it. “Come here, I’ve gotta fix your hair.” 

He grabbed her wrist with a raise of his brows before she could even touch him. “What’re ya plannin’ on doin’ ta me?”

“Giving you Christopher Robin hair!” 

“What’s dat mean?”

Waverly pulled her arm out of his grip and ran her fingers through his hair. “You’re just gonna have to wait and see.”

Jeremy glanced up from Alfred’s tank and looked towards Robin with a faux frown. “You never let  _ me  _ play with your hair.” 

Robin coughed a little, looking at him with raised brows. “Ya know t’e consequences when  _ you  _ mess with me hair, Shorty,” he reminded, grinning when Jeremy’s cheeks flushed red. 

“Ew!” Rosita groaned, looking between them from where she was on Nicole’s bed. “You get a boner when Baby Jeremy plays with your hair?”

Waverly pouted her lip at Robin. “Awe, you don’t get a boner when  _ I  _ play with your hair! I need to up my game!” 

“Aye!” Nicole shouted from the bathroom. “Don’t ya go givin’ Robbie a hard on now!”

“Lucky fer ya, a gal ain’t never given me a hard on.”

The bathroom door opened and Nicole stepped out in her red crop top and yellow skinny jeans with a smirk on her face as she adjusted the headband with yellow ears on her head. “Aye, now dat ain’t true,” she butt in while Rosita and Chrissy slipped into the bathroom to do their makeup.

“How d’ya figure?” Robin questioned.

“I remember  _ plenty  _ a’time I’d feel yer willy pokin’ me in t’e arse when ya were a lil hormonal lad ‘n we was sleepin’ in t’e same bed. Really had me t’inkin’ ya was straight dere fer a minute.” 

“How relieved were ya when ya realized it was ‘cause yer brother was in t’e same room?” he asked, smirking at her.

Nicole mirrored the smirk on his face and crossed her arms. “Well, I sure know  _ Shae  _ wasn’t relieved when  _ she  _ couldn’t get ya hard.”

Robin chuckled at that. “Ya took care o’ her after I couldn’t.”

Waverly slowly blinked at her in question, but Nicole ignored her. 

“Damn right, I did,” she said with a wink towards Robin before dropping onto the bed next to him and grabbing Waverly’s hand, turning her and pulling her to sit on her lap.  _ “You,  _ ma’am, did a  _ wonderful  _ job on everybody’s costumes.” Waverly smiled bashfully at her. “I’m proud o’ ya, Love.”

“And we’re getting laid tonight because of it!” Chrissy cheered from the bathroom, making everyone laugh. 

“And with the way Jeremy keeps looking at Robin, he’s getting laid tonight too,” Rosita added, dodging the pillow Robin hurled into the bathroom.

Waverly rolled her eyes. “Maybe I should have sewed condoms onto the inside of all of your costumes.” 

“Not mine,” Nicole grinned, wiggling her brows.

“I forgot my tail!” Jeremy gasped, setting Alfred back in his tank and rushing to the bathroom where he’d left his bobby pin ears and tail. 

Robin gestured for him to come towards him and took the tail. He grabbed Jeremy’s hips and forcedhim to turn around. “Where’dya want it?”

“On my butt.”

“Dat’s super helpful, Shorty,” Robin grumbled, tugging at his overalls hard enough to make him stumble backwards. “Yer lucky I don’t shove da pin into yer arse.” 

Jeremy reached back far enough to hit him. “You would _ never!”  _

Robin grabbed his hand, kissing his knuckles despite the fact that he’d just been hit. “Yer right, Baby. Not stop moving so I can put yer bloody tail on.” After finangling with the overalls for a couple seconds, Robin had successfully secured the tail to Jeremy’s ass and then helped him place the ears into his hair. 

“You should wear your hair like this more,” Jeremy said, tugging at the hair hanging in front of Robin’s face. “I only ever see it like this when you wake up.”

“So ya want me ta look like I jus’ woke up more?” Robin chuckled, grabbing his camera off the nightstand and kissing Jeremy’s lips before turning towards everyone while they added the finishing touches to their costumes. “Picture time, Laddies.” 

Nicole groaned, helping Waverly up off her lap. “Make it snappy, Robbie.”

“Yeah, yeah…” he muttered, cranking the camera while everyone shuffled to gather around him. “Everyone smile or I’ll puck ya one.” Robin held the camera up, facing himself and the rest of the group with his arm fully extended so everyone would be in the frame. “3… 2… 1.” The camera clicked and he dropped his arm to crank the camera again. “Jus’ t’e gals, aye?” 

The girls all whined about not wanting to be late, but still moved into a line, arms around each other and smiling for the camera. 

“Did we look hot?” Chrissy asked when he’d snapped the picture. 

“I’m not really t’e person ta ask…” Robin mumbled, cranking the camera again. “Now Babycakes ‘n Nic, do someting cute.” 

The others moved out of the way, and Nicole looked down at Waverly with a raise of her brows. “What’re we doin’?” She questioned.

Waverly dropped her hands to rest on the front of her stomach with a grin, rubbing her thumbs on her abs that were  _ very  _ visible since she was in a crop top. “I dunno, what  _ are  _ we doin’?”

“Dat’s what _ I _ asked,” Nicole chuckled with a smile, looking down at her hands for a moment before raising her eyes to meet her’s again. “Why’d ya make me wear dis?”

Waverly smiled. “‘Cause you look  _ oh so  _ cute.” 

Nicole rolled her eyes, dropping her hands to her hips and pulling her closer, dipping her head to press a quick kiss to her lips before pulling back, keeping her head there with a dimpled grin. “Yer lucky yer cuter ‘cause ain’t no way I’d be goin’ out in public like dis without ya.” Waverly giggled, digging her thumbs into her stomach.

The camera flashed and they both looked up at Robin in confusion. “We didn’t even do anything yet!” Waverly whined. 

“Yeah, ya did,” Robin sighed. “Dose heart eyes were enough. Now c’mon, Nic. Get one of me ‘n Shorty.”

Nicole pursed her lips but took Robin’s camera, and he pulled Jeremy to where the girls had their pictures taken. 

“I don’t know what to do!” Jeremy whined. 

“Get on me back,” Robin said, bending down a little so Jeremy would be able to mount him. 

Jeremy hesitated behind him, biting his lip. “I-”

“C’mon, Shorty. Ain’t nothin’ ta be ‘fraid o’,” Robin said, bending down a little more. 

Jeremy groaned but jumped onto his back anyways. “I don’t like this. You’re gonna drop me!”

“I ain’t gonna drop ya!” Robin huffed, looping his arms under Jeremy’s legs and shifting him up a little more. “Ya have no faith in me!”

“Ya’ve got t’ree seconds ‘fore I’m takin’ t’e picture,” Nicole warned.

Jeremy wrapped his arms around Robin’s neck a little tighter and leaned close to his ear. “This is one of the only times I’ll ever be on top.”

The two burst into laughter as the flash went off and Nicole shook her head at them, setting the camera down before finding a pair of yellow Converse in the closet. “Ya better hope I never see ya on top o’ him.”

Robin set Jeremy back on the floor and kissed his cheek before grabbing his combat boots and sitting at the end of his bed. 

“Wait!” Waverly gasped, grabbing a pair of tall, white socks off of Nicole’s bed and throwing them at him. “You have to wear these, too.”

“Ya’re really pushin’ it, Babycakes,” he grumbled, pulling the socks on with his combat boots and cringing when he looked down at them. “Oh goodie… it’s even worse dan I t’ought.” 

“It’s cute!” Waverly insisted. “You look just like Christopher Robin.” 

Robin shot her a look of annoyance and stood up. “If t’e wee lad was over 6 feet tall and only wore combat boots, I’d say ya were right.”

“Can we please leave?” Chrissy groaned, thumping her heels on the ground. “I’m really trying to get a guy back to my dorm before they’re all too wasted.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah” Nicole huffed.

“Nah, nah, nah!” Robin moved to his bed, pulling out a box filled with ten different glass bottles of alcohol from under it. He waved his fingers over it before grabbing a bottle of vodka and holding it up. “First, we  _ pregame!” _ He passed the bottle around, letting everyone take a swig or two (Rosita downing what had to have been three shots on the spot) before taking a couple swigs himself and capping the bottle.

“Can we go now?” Chrissy asked, already moving towards the door.

_ “Now _ we party,” Nicole agreed, moving to grab her keys and wallet and ushering everyone towards the door.

“Bye, Alfred!” Jeremy called before she shut the door behind them. 

Rosita and Chrissy walked ahead of everyone, obviously trying to get to the party as fast as they could even though they were both wearing heels that would have broken the ankles of anyone but a woman on a mission. 

“Kyle?” 

Rosita wrinkled up her nose. “Ew.” 

“You’re right…” Chrissy sighed. “His brother?” 

“Pete’s needy.” 

“What about Bryce?” Chrissy suggested. 

“B-Train?” Rosita scoffed. “I wouldn’t let him dance within three feet of me.” 

Jeremy shook his head, laughing a little and looked up at Robin who was already looking at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked, bumping into him a little as they walked. 

“How ya feelin’?” 

“Fine, why?” 

Robin shrugged. “I know parties ain’t yer ting.” 

“Well, you’re gonna be there, so I think I’ll be okay,” Jeremy assured, squeezing Robin’s hand for a moment before the group made it to the doors and started down the sidewalk, following Chrissy and Rosita to whichever frat house they were going to. 

“Hey, bitches!” someone called from behind them. They all turned to see Fish and Levi coming towards them in more sparkles than any costume Jeremy had ever seen them wear in years prior.

Fish was wearing massive red, bedazzled sunglasses and a matching red, bedazzled suit with a flared collar while Levi was wearing a wife beater tucked into tight, light blue skinny jeans accessorized with a sparkly black belt that matched a band wrapped around his forearm.

“You two look  _ fabulous _ ,” Jeremy grinned. “Elton and Freddie, in  _ all  _ their  _ gay glory _ .” 

“And you’re…” Fish looked him up and down. “ _ Saggy _ ?”

“Eeyore,” Robin clarified. “Waves wanted ta do a group costume.” 

Levi nodded, looking down at Robin’s shorts. “I can see that, little Christopher Robert.” 

Robin grimaced, tugging the shorts down a little more as they walked. “It wasn’t me idea.” 

“He strongly opposed it, actually,” Nicole added from ahead of them.

“At least your ass looks good in them,” Levi said with a shrug. 

Jeremy shoved his elbow into his side. “Watch it.”

Robin wrapped an arm around Jeremy’s shoulders and smiled down at him. “I like it when ya get all protective.” 

Fish mimicked Robin’s movements and looked at Levi. “And I don’t like it when ya complement other men’s asses.”

“Yours will always be my favorite,” Levi assured him, slapping his ass before pulling away with a grin. 

“Babe, you’re gonna get us in trouble,” Fish grumbled, shoving his arm. 

Levi just shrugged and moved even closer to him. “When am I not getting us in some kind of trouble?”

Fish looked at Jeremy and Robin with a look of fake annoyance. “You see what I have to deal with?” 

“You’re like an old married couple.” 

Robin nodded in agreement. “It’s actually kinda endearin’.”

When they made it to the frat house, Chrissy and Rosita were already halfway inside with red solo cups in their hands. The rest of them started inside cautiously, trying not to get swept away by the people dancing to the thumping music blasting throughout the entire house. They found themselves near one of the two active beer pong tables near where Chrissy and Rosita had ended up and Nicole grabbed them by the back of their outfits to pull them towards her.

“Listen up,” she yelled over the music. “Ya leave with anyone, ya tell one o’ us first alrigh’? Someone’s gotta know where yer goin’ ‘n with who in case ya don’t pop back up tomorrow.”

“Ooh,” Chrissy said, taking a drink from her solo cup. “I like it when you get all in charge. I’m sure Waves does, too.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Ya come find someone ‘fore ya leave, alrigh’?” 

“Alright…” Rosita huffed. “Drink lots of beer and don’t set your cups down, kids.”

“T’anks, Rosie Roo,” Robin chuckled, patting her back and looking over the rest of the party goers with ease. “Snacks are dis way.” He grabbed one of Jeremy’s pockets and started to pull him through the crowd, Fish and Levi following closely behind him. They stopped at the island bar in the kitchen, looking at the rows of snacks, sodas, and alcohol. Robin glared at the small variety of beer there was. 

“Are you mad there’s not Guinness?” Jeremy asked him.

Robin nodded, grabbing a random can of beer and opening it anyway. “Never been ta a party here dat was properly stocked with beer.”

“That’s because the good parties aren’t on campus.” All four of them looked up as Kennedy came sliding into the kitchen in socks, a large white button down, and sunglasses with a solo cup in hand. 

“Ooh, Tom Cruise, Risky Business. Very well done,” Levi said, cracking a beer open and raising it to him. 

“Thank you, thank you,” Kennedy said, taking a little bow. “Wow, look at us, five gays in a kitchen.” 

Jeremy grabbed two beers, handing one to Fish and shaking his head. “Surrounding the snack table, obviously.” 

**11:19 PM**

“I was with Nic when she got her ears pierced ‘n tried ta punch t’e guy who had t’e needle,” Robin chuckled, opening his sixth beer and taking a long drink. “She was very angry, even as a seven year old.”

“I was with Levi when he got his nipples pierced and also with him when they got infected and also I am the one that had to pull the piercing out and clean out the puss-” 

“Ew!” Kennedy groaned.

Jeremy sighed, obviously trying to push the memory back to where it came from. “You’re telling me. I was more grossed out when I did that then I stitched up his open stab wound.”

Levi shot Jeremy a half grin and pat him on the back. “You’ve always been the mom of the group.”

“Because you act like a  _ child  _ all the time!”

“I got my bellybutton pierced in high school,” Kennedy said, lifting up his button down to show off the small butterfly dangling from his belly button.

Fish leaned closer to him, looking down at his boxers that he was showing to the entire kitchen and closing his eyes for a second. “I hate to ask this, I really do, but what’s that?” he asked, pointing to the small outline in the fabric.

“He’s got his willy pierced,” Robin answered for him. 

“Robin,” Kennedy groaned. “Wanna tell everyone why you know that?”

“Kennedy,” Robin groaned back, glancing at the amused look on Jeremy’s face.

Jeremy shrugged at him. “Go ahead.”

“I ain’t got nothin’ ta say.”

“Put your goods away, Donovan,” Xavier said, coming into the kitchen and grabbing a beer.

Everyone stared at him for a moment, completely distracted by his almost spot on Urkel costume. From the suspenders to the glasses, he looked like a severely overgrown Steve Urkel.

“What?” he questioned, opening the beer. 

“Your costume…” Fish mumbled, looking him up and down again. 

Xavier grinned, tugging at his suspenders. “It’s great isn’t it?

“I prefer your Blade costume that I made you wear last year,” Jeremy said with a grin to match his.

“I didn’t even know who he was but all the nerds in the dorms like me more now, so I can’t complain,” he admitted, ruffling Jeremy’s hair between his bobby pin ears.

“Boys!” Rosita rushed into the kitchen, toting an obviously drunk yet very lustful Bryce behind her. “Going back to my dorm. Calling Waves’ room in the morning.” 

“Goin’ home with B-Train, aye?” Robin teased. “I t’ought ya said ya wouldn’t let him-” 

Rosita slapped her hand over his mouth. “Shut your face or I’m gonna pour my drink down your pants.”

Jeremy shook his head but smiled. “Have fun with B-Train.”

Rosita pointed her finger at him with a glare. “Watch it, Chetri.”

“Have fun, Rosie Roo,” Robin smirked, smacking her ass as she turned away from them. “Remember ta wrap his willy, aye?” 

“Bye, boys,” she grumbled, grabbing Bryce’s shirt and dragging him out of the kitchen.

“She’s been here less than two hours and she’s already taking someone home,” Kennedy said, nodding a little. “Good for her. I’m gonna go try and find one of the secret dick munchers.”

Robin shook his head, leaning against the wall next to Jeremy. “Don’t get beat up.” 

“Why? You know I  _ love  _ the attention.” 

“No one likes ta see ya hurt, Ken,” Robin reminded him, getting a small nod from Kennedy before he slid towards the closest beer pong table in the next room. 

Jeremy looked up at Robin, a soft smile on his lips. “Are you having fun?” 

“I’m always havin’ fun when I’m with ya, Shorty,” Robin said, taking down the last of his beer and drop kicking it into the crowd of people in the connected room, watching a couple people flinch or look around for the source. 

“You’re just like… a party person,” Jeremy sighed, handing him another beer. “I know you’d rather be out playing beer pong or dancing or something.”

“Ya wanna go dance with me?” Robin asked, raising his eyebrow. 

Jeremy chewed his lip a little, looking out into the big group of people dancing to the music near the middle of the room. “I- well, I mean-” he paused, glancing towards Fish and Levi who’d moved to sit on top of the dining table. “Will you let me get a little more drunk first? You know… Lower the risk of an anxiety attack?” 

“Whatever ya want,” he assured. “I’m gonna go hang with Nic fer a minute, if ya don’t mind.” 

“No, of course. I’ll come find you in a little bit.”

Robin grinned, brushing his thumb on Jeremy’s cheek for a moment before slipping into the crowded living room and tugging at the back of Nicole’s crop top when he found the two dancing within the herd of people. “Yo, Winnie, ya lookin’ ta get t’e shite beat outta ya in some beer pong?”

Nicole turned around with an amused expression on her face and Waverly raised her brows at him. “I’ll have you know, my girlfriend is a beer pong  _ master.”  _

“How would ya know, Babyckaes- Wait, did ya just call her yer  _ girlfriend _ ?” He looked to Nicole with a grin on his face. “Ya finally grew a pair ‘n asked her out, aye?

“Seems like ya missed quite a bit, Robbie,” Nicole smirked over the rim of her cup. “We also just won four games o’ pong togeter ‘n t’e only reason we didn’t keep goin’ was ‘cause Chump came up in a bloody monkey mask.”

Robin nodded, humming in acknowledgment. “I’ve seen dat hung on t’e wall in his dorm ‘fore. Jer hates dat ting.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Waverly grumbled, looking towards where Jeremy, Fish, and Levi were all sitting on the dining room table laughing about something. “Ya know, considering that you accidentally told Jeremy you loved him once yet you haven't even asked him out yet, I don’t think you’re allowed to tease Nicole about asking me out.” 

“He  _ told  _ ya ‘bout dat?” he gawked.

“In his defense, I didn’t know  _ you  _ were who he was talking about. I still thought he was with Kennedy.” 

“What about Kennedy?” Kennedy asked as he danced into their vicinity, and Robin shoved him away when his grinding motions were too close for his liking. 

“Nothing,” Waverly and Robin said at the same time. 

Kennedy sighed, wrapping his arm around Nicole’s shoulder much to her dismay. “I still can’t find a boy to take home.”

“I mean, apparently  _ Robin’s  _ single,” Waverly said, tilting her head at Robin. 

“Well, I coulda told you that,” Kennedy smirked, nudging him with his elbow. 

Robin glared at Waverly and backed away from Kennedy. “Nope. Been dere, done dat, did him.” 

“Uh, I’m pretty sure  _ I  _ did the did-ing,” Kennedy said with a cross of his arms.

_ “Oo,  _ Robbie had a willy up his arse,” Nicole teased. “Didn’t know ya bottomed dese days. I really didn’t tink ya had it in ya.”

“Oh, he sure had it in ‘em,” Kennedy chuckled.

“Ya had jus’ as much o’ me in ya as ya had in me, ‘n ya know it ya little shite,” Robin grumbled, looking down at his beer.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Kennedy sighed.

“Yer a bloody switch, t’e feck ya on ‘bout, Mate?”

Nicole placed herself further between the two, obviously sensing that Robin was no longer having fun with the conversation. “Why don’t ya go get Jer ‘n we can try ‘n play each other, ya?” 

“Whatever,” he said, pushing past her and Kennedy as he left the living room. 

Jeremy looked up at him as he entered the kitchen and frowned at the expression on his face. “What happened?”

“Come ‘ere,” Robin said, grabbing Jeremy’s arm and pulling him off the table. 

“Where’re we going?” Jeremy asked, glancing back to the smirks on Fish and Levi’s faces. 

“Ya’ll see in a second.”

“Have fun!” Levi called after them as they slipped down a long hallway lined with seven doors. 

Robin glanced at the names written on all of the doors except the one at the end of the hallway and pushed the door open, interrupting a couple that was making out against the bathroom sink. 

“Ocupado, Buddy,” the guy said, trying to shut the door, but Robin pressed his hand against it and moved closer to the guy, looking down at him. 

_ “Out.”  _

“Okay then…” He grabbed the girl’s hand, pulling her past both of them and down the hallway. 

“Robin, what the hell?” Jeremy yelled when Robin pulled him into the bathroom and locked the door behind them. “That was rude- oh!” Robin shoved him back against the door, gripping his hips roughly to hold him where he was. Jeremy stared at him, wide eyed and completely taken aback by his sudden weird behavior. “Uh…” 

Robin’s eyes scanned over his face a moment before he leaned forwards, taking Jeremy’s lips roughly with his own. Jeremy gasped into the kiss, grabbing Robin’s shoulders in surprise and arching into him slightly.

When Robin pulled away, he stared at the shock on Jeremy’s face for a moment and moved his hand to cup his cheek. Jeremy blinked at him and gripped the hand that was on his cheek. “Are you alright? What happened back there?”

“I jus’-” he paused, hesitating in the slightest. “I needed ya here with me fer a second.” 

“You could have said that before you dragged me down a dark hallway and locked me in a bathroom.”

“What, ya don’t trust me?” Robin asked, grinning a little. 

Jeremy sighed, squeezing his hand. “Talk to me, Babu. What happened with Nic and Waves?”

“Nothin’ happened,” he lied.

“That’s why you looked so pissed when you came back? Because absolutely nothing happened? Don’t lie to me.” 

Robin’s face dropped a little and he pursed his lips. “...Do ya tink we ain’t movin’ fast enough?”

Jeremy smiled a little. “You just found out about Nicole and Waverly becoming official, didn’t you?” 

“I did…” he trailed. “It’s also jus’ hard fer me ta deal with Ken when I know it bothers ya when he flirts with me, but I don’t wanna tell him dat we’re togeter if we’re not. ‘N I don’t want ya tinkin’ I ain’t askin’ ya ta be me boyfriend ‘cause I’m not sure, I just don’t want ya ta feel rushed or like I’m tryna keep ya from bein’ with anyone else if yer still datin’ ‘round.” 

“Hey, hey, hey,” Jeremy said, squeezing Robin’s hand again and pulling him a little closer. “Firstly, with the absurd amount of time we spend together, I don’t know how you’d think I’d have time to even think about dating around. Second, we’re fine, Babu. I haven’t felt rushed a moment I’ve been with you… unless you count when I’m rushing to keep up with your eight foot long legs.” 

Robin let out a soft sigh. “I’ve been tryin’ ta walk slower.” 

“I know it. You’re very considerate of my child legs.”

“Ya got cute lil leggies.” 

Jeremy sighed and kissed Robin’s hand that was still holding his cheek. “You make me happier than anyone else ever could have dreamed of, but if you  _ dare  _ ask me out in the bathroom of a frat house, I’m walking home alone.” 

“Well, I can’t have ya doin’ dat. Ya’ll get cold,” Robin said, running his hand up and down Jeremy’s waist. “I feel like ya have t’e right ta know dat I ain’t never been good at relationships. I told ya dat I dated t’ree people, now one’s a lesbian, one’s dating Nic’s brother, who I also… _ya know-_ ” 

“Schtupped?” Jeremy asked with a grin. 

“Ya, dat,” he agreed. “‘N t’e last one was t’e guy dat I got caught with in basics. None of ‘em ended well ‘cause I was young ‘n dumb ‘n pushin’ me luck with people who weren’t good fer me.” 

“You think I’m good for you,” Jeremy questioned softly.

Robin dropped his head to press a soft kiss to Jeremy’s lips. “I tink no one better coulda come into me life when I came ta Calgary.” 

“You’re sweet,” Jeremy cooed, kissing him again. “But as sweet as that is-”

“Don’t ask ya out in t’e bloody toilet, I know, I know,” Robin grumbled. “Now imma make sure ya ain’t gotta clue when it’s happenin’. Gonna come at ya outta nowhere!”

Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Looking forward to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)  
> Collect your thoughts and drop them in the comments below
> 
> Ps. I heavy edited my first two chapters if you're bored and wanna check 'em out


	21. Dat Means He Better Gotta Rubber!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween Party: WayHaught Edition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOW here's the Halloween chapters! 
> 
> Hey y'all!  
> If I can say anything about this chapter, it's that ya might need to make sure no one else is peeking at what you're reading ;)  
> This chap is 8k, and over half of that is...well, you'll find out  
> I have a feeling I'm making it insanely clear as to what's happening in this chapter (or maybe the rating change does), so if ya don't like that kind of shit, don't read it after that point. Once it starts, it don't stop.
> 
> Enjoy, nasties

**Sunday, October 31st, 1993, 10:02 PM**

“Listen up,” Nicole yelled over the music after they arrived at the party. “Ya leave with anyone, ya tell one o’ us first alrigh’? Someone’s gotta know where yer goin’ ‘n with who in case ya don’t pop back up tomorrow.”

“Ooh,” Chrissy said, taking a drink from her red solo cup. “I like it when you get all in charge. I’m sure Waves does, too.”

Nicole rolled her eyes as the brunette wacked her arm. “Ya come find someone ‘fore ya leave, alrigh’?” 

“Alright,” Rosita huffed, raising her cup at them. “Drink lots of beer and don’t set your cups down, Kids.”

“T’anks, Rosie Roo,” Robin chuckled, patting her back and looking over the rest of the party-goers with ease. “Oo, snacks are dis way.” He grabbed one of Jeremy’s pockets and started dragging him in that direction. 

Nicole looked down at Waverly, sliding her hand down her back when she saw how close she was pressed to her side. “Aye.” She looked up at her and the redhead gave her an assuring smile. “Let’s go get us some, uh,  _ liquid courage  _ ta loosen ya up a bit. alrigh’?” 

Waverly grinned up at her. “That sounds like a  _ great  _ idea.” 

Nicole started towards the kitchen, and Waverly hooked her finger around the loop on the back of her jeans so she didn’t get lost in the crowd of people in  _ very  _ interesting costumes all around her. The kitchen was a lot less crowded, so she let go once they were safely out of the sea of drunken college kids, smiling wide when she saw Levi, Fish, Robin, Jeremy, and Kennedy all standing by the snacks. “Hey, Boys! Long time no see!” 

“It’s been, like, three minutes, Waves,” Jeremy chuckled. He grabbed two cans of beer and offered it out to them. “It’s vegan, I checked.” 

“Thanks,” Waverly grinned, but Nicole pushed his hand down, heading over to the various bottles of liquor on the counter behind them. She grabbed a solo cup and two random bottles, not paying any attention to what they were and smirking wide as she began to pour them each into the cup. 

_ “Aye,” _ Robin huffed, grabbing both of the bottles from her hands and setting them back down on the counter. “Ya feckin’ alcoholic,  _ behave.” _

“I  _ am,”  _ she argued, downing the whole cup in one gulp. 

Robin let out a mildly frustrated sigh and rubbed his forehead.  _ “Jaysus Christ.” _

“Awe, wouldja look at us!” Kennedy said with a smile, looking around at them and raising his beer. “Seven gays in a kitchen.” 

“Uh, six  _ and a half _ ,” Waverly corrected with a raise of her brows. 

Kennedy put his hands up. “My bad, Padre,  _ six and a half _ gays in a kitchen.” 

Waverly smiled, leaning back against the counter by Nicole and forcing the beer into her hand after taking the empty cup from her. “Much better.” 

“It’s bullshite dat dere ain’t no Guinness,” Nicole grumbled as she popped the tab of the can and took a drink.

_ “Dat’s  _ what I said,” Robin agreed, hitching his lip in disgust as he looked down at the beer in his hand. 

Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand, pulling her off the counter. “Yea, yea, Captain Irish. Now let’s go pretend we’re really drunk so it’s an excuse for me to grind on you without getting shit for it.” 

“Don’t mind if I do.” Nicole widened her eyes at her as she quickly followed her. “I tink I’m gonna like Canadian parties after all.” 

“Don’t cream yer jeans, Corporal!” Robin shouted after her, grinning as she flipped him the bird before they disappeared into the crowd. 

**10:47 PM**

“Aye, one o’ da beer pong tables is free,” Nicole said as she looked over the crowd from the wall they were standing by on their drink break from dancing.

“Where?” Waverly questioned, turning around and looking in the direction Nicole was, standing up on her toes with a huff. “I’m too  _ short!”  _

Nicole chuckled, grabbing her by the hips and lifting her up so she was at her height. “Ya see it?”

Waverly kicked her legs with a squealed giggle. “Ok, I see it! Put me down!” 

The redhead smirked as she set her back on her feet. “Let’s head over ‘n see if we can wrangle some people up ta play with us ‘fore it’s taken again.” 

“I  _ love  _ beer pong!” Waverly grinned, hooking her finger back on the back of Nicole’s jeans so she could lead.

“Sure, ya love it, but are ya any good?” Nicole questioned with a smirk as she looked back at her. 

“I’m . . .  _ decent,”  _ she mumbled. 

“T’ought so,” the redhead chuckled, and they came into the opening just as two other people did. 

“Decent for an Earp, though, so take that as you will.” She looked towards the boys, immediately recognizing them. “Yo, Yorks!” Waverly shouted. “Play with us!” 

Pete and Kyle, who were dressed as Fred and Barney from The Flintstones, looked towards her, both grinning slyly as they glanced towards one another for a moment. “What do we get if we win?” Pete questioned with a cross of his arms. 

“I wouldn’t get too ahead o’ yerself now,” Nicole warned, walking over to the keg sitting by the table and beginning to fill up some cups. 

“Oh, ya know what they say, Red,” Kyle said as he took some of the cups and placed them at their end of the table. “Confidence is key.” 

“Sure, but dere’s a difference between confidence ‘n cocky,” she pointed out as she handed him the last cup for their side. 

“Fair enough,” they both mumbled, and Nicole smirked a little as she began helping Waverly set all of their cups up, grabbing a couple of balls from the pocket hanging off the side of the table and tossing the Yorks two.

“Ok,” Kyle said as he tapped his ball on the table. “Ladies first.” 

Waverly looked up at the redhead, nodding towards the table. “You go.” 

“Alrigh’ . . .” Nicole moved to stand in line with the cups across the table, closing one eye and bringing the ball up towards the open one, shifting her elbow for the aim instead of her hand. Waverly cocked a brow at her when she saw she stopped breathing for a moment. “First cup,” Nicole muttered, and Waverly followed the ball as it left her hand, watching as it fell right into the cup she called. The York brothers let out a synchronized groan, Pete fishing the ball out of the cup. 

“You took that  _ very  _ seriously,” Waverly laughed. 

“It went in, didn’t it?” Nicole defended with a wiggle of her brows.

“It was a lucky shot,” Pete huffed as he downed the beer. “Watch.” He lined up his shot and tossed it, scoffing when it bounced off the edge of a cup. 

“You  _ suck!”  _ Kyle yelled, shoving his brother’s shoulder. 

_ “No,  _ you suck!” Pete shouted, shoving him back. 

“Knock it off. Just say you both suck and move on,” Waverly groaned as she bounced her ball on the table a few times. She waited for them to stop before aiming and throwing, pouting her lip when it hit the table right beside the second row of cups and bounced away. 

“Now who sucks,” Nicole smirked, dodging the hand she tried to smack at her with. “Aye!” 

“See,  _ this  _ is how it's done,” Kyle smirked as he tossed the ball, landing it in one of the middle cups. “SEE!” 

Nicole rolled her eyes as she grabbed the cup and shook the ball off, drinking the beer and setting the cup to the side, grabbing Waverly by her waist. “C’mere.” 

Waverly widened her eyes up at her. “What?” 

Nicole’s pinky and ring finger rested on the skin under her crop top intentionally as she pulled her to stand right in front of her. She pushed the ball into her hand. “I’m gonna show ya how ta get it in dere,” the redhead informed. 

“Ahh,” Waverly said with a nod. “Alright, gimme the deets.” 

Nicole grabbed Waverly’s wrist, bringing her hand up to line up with her eye. “Close yer other eye and focus yer vision  _ over  _ t’e ball.”

“Ok,” Waverly mumbled, swallowing as she did so after hearing how low and authoritative her voice got.

“Now aim first with yer hand ‘n  _ den  _ use yer elbow ta decide how ya want yer t’row ta follow t’rough. Dat’s t’e most important part- following yer toss t’rough.” 

“M’kay,” she mumbled, poking her tongue out between her teeth as she did so.

“C’mon!” Pete yelled. “You’re taking too long, just take the shot!” 

“Sod off, ya git,” Nicole grumbled, shooting him a glare to get him to shut up.

“Now what?” Waverly asked her.

“Now yer gonna wanna tune into yer heartbeat and-” 

“How the hell do I do that?” 

“Shh,” Nicole hushed through a tiny laugh, grabbing her free hand and pressing her fingers against the back of Waverly’s over her pulse point so she could feel it. “Yea?” 

“Ok, yea,” she mumbled. 

“If ya toss in between two heartbeats, yer shot’ll be more steady. Same with holdin’ yer breath. Try it.” Nicole took a step back from her, holding her hands behind her back as she watched her stay still for a second before throwing, grinning wide when it went right into the cup. 

Waverly spun around with a beaming smile. “Oh my God, it  _ worked!”  _

“Of course it feckin’ did,” she laughed, giving her a double high five and gripping her hands for a second. “Now do dat every time, ‘n we’ve got dis game in the bag.” 

“Weren’t you just the one complaining about _us_ being cocky?” Pete asked with a scoff.   
She threw him a glare. “Shut it, York. It’s yer turn.” 

** 11:06 PM **

“Waaaaves!” The brunette heard shouted from behind her. She turned her head with a cocked brow before her eyes caught a tipsy Chrissy approaching her. “Yo, I’m heading upstairs.”

“With who?” She questioned, handing her ping pong ball to Nicole so she could continue playing for her. Her question was quickly answered when Perry Crofte stepped out of the mass of people behind Chrissy and dropped his hands to her waist.

And she couldn’t tell if it was creepy or adorable that he was  _ also  _ dressed as Tigger. 

“Hey, Waverly,” he said with a smile. “Do I need your blessing or something first?” 

She giggled a little. “You don’t, but you’ve got it anyway. Have fun,  _ don’t  _ be dumb!” 

“Dat means he better got a rubber!” Nicole shouted when she turned to look at them. 

“Oh my God, go,” Chrissy grumbled as she turned and pressed her hands against Perry’s chest. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow sometime!” 

“Bye, Chris!” Waverly called, waiting for them to disappear into the crowd before turning back towards the beer pong table. 

“Aye, we won again,” Nicole smirked, pointing towards the end of the table where she had just sunk a ball in the last cup. 

“Yay!” She beamed with a happy clap. “You’re so good at this, Bub.” 

“Oh, I’m good at a lot of t’ings,” she said with a wink. 

Waverly’s face flushed dark, and they both looked up as someone stepped up to the other end of the table. “Another contender, aye?” Nicole asked with a smirk. The dude in the gorilla mask didn’t say anything, but he nodded and cracked his knuckles. “Alrigh’, let’s do it.” She walked around the table and began to fill up cups again, setting them on either side as she got them ready for Waverly and Monkey Man to set up. “How t’e feck ya expect ta drink t’rough a mask, Mate?” Nicole asked with a cocked brow, slowly standing up when she looked down at his familiar bruised knuckles as he grabbed one of the cups.

She snapped her head around when she felt a hand on her shoulder, shifting towards Kennedy. “I hope you know that’s Champ under there,” he warned in a whisper. “Saw him scoping you out from over there.”

“Oh, I’ve jus’ figured dat out, Donnie,” she muttered under her breath, giving his hand a pat before moving towards Champ. 

“Nic, what’re you-” Waverly stopped with a gasp, gripping her hands into Kennedy’s arm when he threw it out in front of her to keep her from going any closer to them after Nicole grabbed a hold of Champ’s shirt and ripped the mask off his face. “Nicole, don’t even  _ think  _ about it!” 

Nicole ignored her, growling as she threw the mask to the floor, gripping the front of his shirt with both hands. “I’m tellin’ ya right  _ fuckin’  _ now, ya better leave us  _ both  _ alone or dere’s gonna be  _ hell  _ ta pay! Do ya understand me?!” 

Champ chuckled lowly as he tried to shove her off of him. “What’re you gonna do, huh?” 

“Dat’s fer me ta know ‘n-” Nicole stumbled back a step with the force Waverly and Kennedy used to pull her back off of him. 

“Stop it,” Kennedy huffed. “You’re gonna get yourself kicked out.” 

Nicole threw Champ one last warning-filled glare before turning around to face them and rolling her shoulders as she grabbed one of the cups of beer and downed it, crunching it in her fist and tossing it to the floor. “Next time he’ll find himself with two broken arms.” 

“Ook,” Waverly breathed out, sliding her hand down her arm. “Let’s go dance so you can cool off.” 

“I think that’s a great idea,” Kennedy agreed, grabbing the spout of the keg hose and spraying some beer into his mouth. “I’ll catch y’all later.” 

“See ya, Kennedy,” Waverly sighed. “Thank you.” 

He shot her some finger guns as he spun around. “No problemo, Padres.” 

They both rolled their eyes at him with shakes of their heads, and Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand, pulling her into the crowd of people and finding an open spot for them to dance in. “Just relax, Baby. He’s an asshole. He’s just trying to get you worked up” Nicole let out a sigh, sliding her hands to her hips under her crop top and pulling her closer, the feeling of her skin relieving her of all her previously bubbling anger.

**11:21 PM**

Kennedy wandered off again soon after Robin stormed off, so Waverly and Nicole got right back to it, trying their hardest to act like straight girls dancing together, but the more drinks they had since the first time they tried that made it a whole lot harder. Waverly got right up against Nicole’s front, smirking devilishly as she ran her nails down her bare sides. Nicole tipped her head back for a second before looking back down at her with darkened eyes. “Ya can’t do dat, Baby.” 

“Why not?” Waverly asked with an innocent tip of her head, slipping her pointer finger down the middle of her abs and hooking it on the front of her jeans. 

Nicole licked her lips with a shake of her head. “Cause I can’t shove ya up against a wall ‘n have me way with ya ‘ere,” she breathed out. 

“Ooh,” Waverly mumbled, tipping her chin down before pulling Nicole’s hands lower on her waist. “What would you do to me if you could?” 

The redhead glanced around, dropping her hands from her hips when she saw a vampire dude’s eyes on her from a few feet away. She let out a low groan, spinning her around and guiding her forward through the people, looking around and spotting Fish and Levi sitting on a table in the kitchen. She quickly led her that way, stepping out from behind her and pulling on Fish’s shoulder, getting him to look towards her. “Me ‘n Waves are headed off. Ya seen where Robbie stomped off ta?” 

“He grabbed Jer and drug him off somewhere,” he said with a shrug. “Probably to a bathroom to get him to  _ relieve some of his anger.” _

Nicole pursed her lips. “Alrigh’, well if ya see one of ‘em again, let ‘em know we’re goin’ ta her dorm. I ain’t want ‘em not knowin’ and walkin’ in.” 

The boys both raised their brows at them with tipsy grins plastered across their faces. “Ok, we will,” Levi said. “Y’all better use a condom now.” 

Waverly’s face went dark and she shot him a playful glare as Nicole drug her out of the room. “You’re one to talk!” 

The redhead continued to pull her along, managing to get her all the way out of the frat house without running into anyone. Waverly’s brows went right up when Nicole started pulling her towards the side of the house instead of in the direction of the dorms. “Nic, where the hell are we going?” She huffed. 

Nicole continued dragging her along, rounding the side of the house and walking into the shadow that covered the area for a few yards. Waverly squeaked when she spun around and grabbed her, pinning her against the building by the neck and pressing her thigh in between her legs as she smashed their lips together. Waverly’s eyes rolled back, but she regained her composure and hooked her hand around the back of her neck to pull her closer. 

Neither of them spoke, and the only noises they made were heaving breaths and hushed moans. The redhead slipped her hand from her neck and slid them down her body, pushing both hands up her shirt and squeezing at her breasts as Waverly ground down onto her thigh. She slipped her left hand down some more, running it across the brunette’s stomach and pulling her thigh back, pressing her right arm against the wall above her head as she hitched the tutu up and cupped her crotch over her leggings, swallowing the moan Waverly released. 

Nicole pressed her palm forward and the brunette pushed against her, grabbing her wrist and pulling it against herself even harder as she ground into it. Nicole tugged at her earlobe with her teeth, dropping them to her neck and biting hard enough to leave some teeth marks. “Ya gonna get off on me hand? Is dat what ya wanna do?” She muttered against her skin. 

Waverly let out a whimper, squeezing her nails into her wrist. “Yes, Nic.” 

“Can’t even wait fer us ta get back, hmm? Ya gonna come against dis wall ‘ere?” 

_ “Fuck,  _ Baby,” Waverly whined. “No, I can’t wait. I-” Nicole roughly pressed their mouths together again, the cut on her lip not holding her back one bit. She rolled her palm against her, sliding her tongue into her mouth when she heard her moans and whimpers getting louder. 

“Ya wanna come so bad,  _ oh, _ I’ll make ya come, Darlin’,” Nicole growled against her mouth. 

Waverly bit her lip hard as she tipped her head back against the wall, her hips starting to stutter some as she pressed against her.  _ “Oh my God,”  _ she breathed out, gripping her fingers into Nicole’s side with the hand not holding her wrist hard enough to leave bruises. 

“Look at me,” the redhead ordered through a breath, slipping the hand above her into her hair and tipping her head towards her. “Right in me eyes, Baby.” 

The brunette’s mouth fell open as she did so, and right when she saw the smirk on Nicole’s lips, she flipped right over the edge. Nicole pushed her fingers into her mouth and she bit down on them to quiet whatever noise she let out as her hips jerked into her palm a few times before she relaxed back against the wall, releasing her claws from Nicole’s hip and arm before letting her hands fall limply to her sides. 

Nicole hummed as she pulled her fingers out of her mouth, pressing both of her hands against the wall on either side of Waverly’s head and leaning down to press her lips against her cheek a few times, waiting until her arms raised to loop around her neck to lift her head and press their foreheads together. “Was dat nice, Love?” Nicole questioned in a whisper. 

“Mhm,” she slowly mumbled against her lips. “Just what the doctor ordered.”

The redhead chuckled, pushing off of her and holding her hand out towards her. “Well, I gotta feelin’ yer doctor’s gonna be  _ very  _ happy with how many of dem ya’re gonna have tonight.” 

Waverly took her hand with a huge grin, giggling as they started for the dorms. “Oh, I bet.”

**11:34 PM**

Waverly pushed open her dorm door and pulled Nicole in behind her, hearing it slam closed before realizing that the redhead had shoved her up against it to do so. She let out a soft moan as Nicole met her lips, tightening both hands into the front of her crop top. 

Nicole let out a grunt, slipping her hands under her ass and hoisting her up. “Ya’re too feckin’  _ short  _ to make out with. I got a kink in me neck ‘n back from t’e frat house.” 

“I’m sorry,” she giggled, running her thumbs over the yellow ears on her headband. 

Nicole smirked with a shake of her head. “Ya hadda  _ ball  _ teasin’ me in dere, didn’t ya?”

“I did,” she grinned, hissing with pleasure when the redhead nipped at her lip. “I wanted to see how long you could last.” 

“Oh, I coulda all night if I wanted,” Nicole mumbled, squeezing her hands into her ass as she pressed her hips into her. She pulled her head back to look at the brunette, a sly smirk on her lips. “But I’ve been  _ itchin’  _ ta get ya into bed.” 

Waverly swallowed as a shudder ran up her spine, tipping her head back towards her when Nicole’s lips started walking down her jaw. “Then why am I still pinned against this door?” 

“Good point.” Nicole quickly pulled her off of it and walked her over to her bed, dropping her onto it and pulling her own ears and crop top off. 

Waverly tugged her white Converse off, tossing them to the floor and flicking the light on the nightstand on just as Nicole fell right back onto her. She let out a heavy breath as Nicole connected their lips, sliding her nails up Nicole’s back and grinning when the redhead let out a low groan. “What is it with you and pain, huh? Hair pulling  _ and  _ nails?” 

Nicole pulled back from her lips and met her eyes with a smirk. “I like bitin’, too.” 

Waverly’s brows shot up and she grinned wide as she flipped them over, straddling her lap and dropping her mouth to her collarbone, sinking her teeth in. Nicole’s hand gripped at the shirt on Waverly’s back as she let out a moan,  _ “Fuck,  _ Wave.” Waverly pulled back to look at her with a smile. “I t’ought I’d have ta say ya could do it harder t’e first go about, but I t’ink ya’ve got it.” 

The brunette smirked, sitting up and pulling the headband with the ears off before doing the same with her shirt. “I aim to please.” She reached around her back and popped the clasp of her bra, letting the straps fall down her arms and pulling it off. 

Nicole traced her eyes over her chest for the very first time, flicking her eyes back up to her face. “Oh, ya sure do please, Baby,” she muttered, licking her lips as Waverly grabbed her hands and cupped them over her breasts. 

“Mhm,” she mumbled, feeling the nerves leave her body under her growingly lustful gaze. 

The redhead slipped one of her hands behind Waverly’s back, pulling her down and rolling them so she was on top once again. Nicole hovered over her face, propping her upper body up with her elbows. “Are ya sure about all o’ dis?” She asked softly.

“Of course, Bub,” Waverly said with a smile.

“It ain’t jus’ cause ya had a few drinks?” 

“Was I drinking yesterday before Chrissy walked in on us?” She asked with a tip of her head. 

“I guess not,” Nicole mumbled. “I jus’ wanna be sure, t’ough- Dat ya ain’t changed yer mind or anythin’.” 

Waverly shook her head, cupping her hands around her neck. “I want to have sex with my girlfriend. And I know  _ you  _ want to have sex with  _ your  _ girlfriend, so I guess you’re in luck since  _ I’m  _ her.” 

The redhead let out a breathy chuckle, dipping her head a little before slowly dropping her hips to press against her’s, lowering down the rest of her body as well. “I love it when ya call me dat,” she muttered, kissing her again for a moment before sliding down and wrapping her lips around her nipple. She grinned wide at the moan that tumbled out of Waverly’s lips. “If ya tink dat’s good, jus’ wait.” 

Waverly pushed her hand into her hair as Nicole continued to kiss and nip all over her torso. The redhead toed her shoes off, kicking them off the bed before reaching between their bodies and popping the button on her skinny jeans. She sat up off of her for a moment, letting out a grunt as she pushed them down past her butt, dropping back forward and sucking on her stomach as she wiggled them the rest of the way off of herself. “I’ve got a question,” Waverly breathed out. 

Nicole pulled back from the hickey she sucked into her abs. “What’s dat, Dear?” 

The brunette smirked a little. “How do you and Robin differentiate between your brief boxer things since you wear dude underwear?” 

Nicole laughed, pressing a kiss to her chest before moving back up towards her face. “I wear solid colors ‘n he wears patterned.” 

Waverly snorted, glancing down at the grey pair she was wearing. “Really?” 

“Yea, really,” she laughed. “I smack t’e shite out of ‘em when I find ‘em wearin’ a pair o’ mine cause I ain’t want the lingerin’ of his goods near me.” 

“Fair enough,” Waverly giggled, cupping her cheek and pulling her back into a kiss, hearing her hiss when she pressed her thumb against the cut there on accident.  _ “Oo _ , sorry.” Nicole grunted against her lips, sliding her hands down Waverly’s body as she took her tongue in her mouth, raising her eyes to her in question as she hooked her fingers under the hem of her leggings and tutu. “Yea,” Waverly breathed out before pulling her right back into a kiss. 

Nicole hummed into her lips before sitting up again, getting her to lift her hips so she could pull them down and off of her. She tossed them to the floor, dropping her hands to her thighs and meeting her eyes. “. . . Ya need ta tell me what ya’re comfy with, Love.” 

“What d’you mean?” Waverly asked with furrowed brows. 

“Like . . . What d’ya want me ta do ‘n not do?” 

Waverly pursed her lips as she pushed herself up on her elbows. “I . . . I have no idea.” 

“What?” Nicole questioned. 

“I pretty much know  _ nothing  _ about lesbian sex,” she mumbled as her cheeks went red. “You’re gonna have to spell it out for me.” 

Nicole chuckled a little, dipping her head for a moment. “I, uh . . . Well, ya know how yer body works, don’t ya?” 

Waverly’s face blushed even darker. “Yea.” 

“Alrigh’ . . . Does dat mean ya’ve . . .” Nicole pursed her lips, looking down at her hands as she made a crude finger-through-the-hole gesture.

“No!” Waverly said a little too forcefully. “I never- no.” 

“Ok,” Nicole mumbled softly. “Good ta know.” The brunette dropped down to her back and clapped her hands over her face with a groan. Nicole huffed, dropping back on top of her and pulling her hands away. “Aye. It’s alrigh’,” she said gently. “All of dis is new fer ya, ‘n I jus’ wanna make sure both o’ us know what’s goin’ on at all times ‘n are on t’e same page with it.” 

“It’s just . . . yea, new,” she mumbled. 

Nicole pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I know, Love. That’s why I ain’t rushin’ anythin’.”

Waverly smiled, nudging her glasses up her nose with a nod. “Thank you, Bub.” 

The redhead pressed a peck to her lips before propping herself up on one elbow and dropping a hand to her stomach. Waverly sucked in a quick breath and wrapped her fingers around her wrist, and Nicole rubbed her thumb across her skin a few times as she caught her eye.  _ “Relax, _ Darlin’. I ain’t doin’ nothin’ yet.” She pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth when the brunette released her grip on her. “I’ll let ya know every time Ima do somethin’ new, alrigh’?” 

Waverly nodded with a swallow. “Ok.” 

“Ya’re still set fer doin’ dis, yea?”

She nodded, smiling a little as she wrapped her hand gently around her bicep. “Just nervous.” 

Nicole nodded, keeping her eyes on her as she slipped her hand down and hooked her finger under the hem of her underwear. “Yea?” 

“Yea,” she confirmed, lifting her hips some so she could pull them down. 

Nicole got them off of her and balled them up, tossing them to the floor and glancing down at her body. She licked her lips as she met her eyes again. “Ya’re a bloody ride, Wave.” 

She let out a breathy laugh. “I hope that’s a good thing.”

The redhead chuckled as she leaned into a kiss. “It’s a  _ grand  _ ol’ ting.” 

“Ok, I thought so,” she mumbled with a smile.

Nicole grinned, inching her hand down from it’s spot on her stomach and grazing over her hipbone. “Jus’ gonna get a feel fer ya, alrigh’?” Waverly nodded, biting her lip as she looked down at her hand. The redhead ran her thumb over the shell of her ear, slipping that hand into her hair as she moved the other down and slipped through her folds. Waverly snapped her eyes up to Nicole’s, and she gently felt around for a moment before sliding her finger down to her entrance to gather some wetness. Waverly quickly pulled at her arm.  _ “Nic-” _

“I’m not,” she assured softly with a shake of her head as she pulled her hand back, feeling her grip on her arm loosen again. “I’m not, I promise.”

Waverly swallowed, dropping down to lay flat on her back. “Ok.” 

“Jus’ relax, Baby. We’re goin’ at yer pace.”

The brunette let out a breath, turning her head to accept the kiss she offered before relaxing into the mattress. “I am  _ cool  _ as a cucumber.” 

Nicole shook her head at her, littering a couple of kisses up her jaw as she slipped back through her folds, gathering some more wetness before sliding up to her clit and brushing over it, feeling her hips jump towards her. “Mm,” she mumbled into her neck, beginning to slowly circle around it. “Dat fine?”

Waverly met her eyes with a set of blown pupils. “More than fine,” she breathed out, wrapping her hand around her neck and pulling her down into a kiss. 

Nicole smirked into her lips. “Alrigh’ den.” She shifted her body some to lean against her, nudging her boxers down with her free hand and wiggling out of them so she could grind down into her thigh with no barrier. She slipped her hand back into Waverly’s hair and sped up her finger, feeling the zap travel to her core after the moan the brunette let out. 

“Tell me again why it took me almost a month to let you do this to me,” she muttered, pressing up into her hand.

Nicole chuckled into her neck as she started a slow grind on her thigh. “Nothin’ ta be afraid of, is dere?”

“Nope,” she said quickly, letting out a whine as she writhed underneath her. “Faster, Bub.” 

The redhead did so, adding more pressure as well and catching her lips to swallow whatever noise would have followed because of it. “How’s dat?”

_ “God,  _ Nic.” 

Nicole let out a shaky breath near her ear as she sucked a mark into her neck, grinding harder into her thigh. Waverly slipped her arm behind her back, pulling her top half closer with her nails dug into her compression sleeve around the top of her shoulder. The redhead opened her eyes and Waverly looked at her, quickly letting go. “Does that hurt?”

She shook her head with a tiny smile. “Nah. Ya jus’ usually don’t touch dere.” 

“Cause I don’t know what’s wrong with it, so I don’t wanna hurt you,” she mumbled. 

Nicole pressed a kiss to her mouth, shaking her head. “Y’ain’t gonna hurt me, Dear.” 

The brunette smirked, pressing her thigh up against her. “I wish you’d hurt me a little.”

A soft moan escaped Nicole’s lips, but she covered it with a growl, rolling her finger around a whole lot faster and using her grip on Waverly’s hair to tip her head to the side so she could get to her neck.  _ “Watch ‘n see.” _

Waverly moaned loud, fisting the pillow behind her head as her body pressed up against the redhead’s.  _ “Baby,”  _ she whined. 

“Well,  _ dat’s  _ adorable,” Nicole mused, her voice low and rumbly against her pulse point. “What’re ya whinin’ fer?” 

“Shut up,” she grumbled through the breath she had sucked in. 

“Aw, what’s wrong, Love?” 

Waverly glared at her, turning her head against the grip she had on her hair and pulling her down into a kiss. Nicole pulled back after a second, releasing her hair and sitting up. She hooked her arms under her thighs and scooped her up, sitting her up slightly against the headboard so she wouldn’t be hanging all the way off the bed when she laid down in front of her. “What’re you-” Waverly’s voice cut with a throaty groan and her hand went right into Nicole’s hair when she wrapped her arms around her thighs to hold her hips down and rolled her tongue over her clit. “Oh,  _ fuck.”  _

Nicole smirked against her, looking up to meet her wide eyes as she sucked it into her mouth and flicked her tongue over the tip of it. The brunette tipped her head back against the wall with a high moan, hips bucking into her face as she fisted her hair in both hands. Nicole’s eyes closed when Waverly pulled at it, the vibrations of the redhead’s growl making her eyes roll back. 

Nicole dug her nails into her hips as she traced figure eights over her, hearing the noises she was letting out rise to an alarming volume, the thought of Dolls being sent over to beat the door down floating in the back of her mind before she remembered he was busy patrolling at the Halloween party. Waverly slipped one hand down to grip onto her’s, throwing her head back again with a hushed curse. “Right there, Bub. Don’t-” 

Nicole shot the hand she wasn’t holding up to wrap around her throat, looking up at her with a smirk when both of her hands gripped around her wrist as she let out a restricted gasp. Waverly’s hips snapped forward against her mouth and her back arched towards the ceiling after finally being sent over the edge, one of her hand’s nails tearing down her arm as the other gripped onto her hair. Nicole slipped her arm all the way across her hips and pressed them down to keep her grounded as she brought her down from her high.

Nicole pulled her mouth away from her, watching as she sunk back against the headboard, both of her arms falling to her lap as her chest heaved. She chuckled a little, moving up the bed and leaning back against the headboard next to the brunette, pulling her into her lap to lean back against her front. “Ya alrigh’?” The redhead asked softly as she ran her fingers through her hair. 

Waverly let out a little hum, opening her eyes and pushing her glasses back on straight as she looked up at her. “I didn’t know I could do that.” 

“Do what?” Nicole questioned, wrapping her arms around her middle and gently pressing a kiss to her face.

“Come that hard.” 

The redhead smirked, squeezing her a little tighter. “Did ya head ta another planet before ya came back ta Earth?” 

“I think I saw all of the gas giants, yea,” she mumbled through a spent slur.

Nicole chuckled, leaning into a kiss when she cupped her cheek. “T’ought so.” She loosened her grip around her middle, feeling Waverly slowly turning around on her lap after the kiss heated back up. She straddled her thigh and both of Nicole’s hands went to her ass, one giving it a smack before she squeezed it with both hands as she pulled her closer. 

Waverly pulled back from her mouth after a minute, tipping her head. “You know what?” 

“Hmm?” 

“You’ve seen me come as many other times as you’ve gotten me off by dry humping the shit out of me  _ and  _ tonight  _ twice _ .” She slid her nails down her stomach and Nicole swallowed, already knowing where she was going with this. “But I’ve never seen you come, not even  _ once.”  _

“Very true,” the redhead confirmed. “I don’t mind, t’ough.” 

The brunette let out a hum with a shake of her head. “Well, I  _ do  _ mind.” 

_ “Baby-” _ Nicole’s eyes fluttered shut the moment her finger brushed over her, and she let out a breath, opening them to look at her. “Ya don’t gotta, Darlin’.” 

“Oh, but I wanna,” Waverly smirked, pulling on the side of her hip with her free hand to get her to scoot from the headboard and angle them upward, rolling her finger around just as the redhead had been with her. 

Nicole tipped her head back, letting out a breathy curse as she gripped her fingers into Waverly’s hip. The brunette dropped her head to her neck, sucking at her pulse point and pulling a low moan from deep within Nicole’s chest. She grinned against her skin, running her thumb down Nicole’s jaw as she colored her neck with some more dark marks, getting the occasional groan or growl every once in a while as her hips bucked into her hand. “Jus’ like dat, Waves.”

Waverly hummed, pulling back from her neck and watching as her face and chest flushed dark as her eyes scrunched together. Her arm looped around Waverly’s back, pulling her closer as she let out a ragged breath, biting back a moan as her whole body jolted once before her eyes went back in her head. Waverly slid her hand down her arm as Nicole’s grip loosened on her after a few seconds, slowing her finger and pulling it away when the redhead slid her other hand to her wrist, tapping it with her thumb. 

“That was hot,” Waverly smirked when Nicole met her eyes again. “Or should I say  _ Haught.”  _

Nicole threw her a look, shaking her head with a chuckle as she pushed her hands through her hair, catching Waverly’s eyes falling to her biceps and flexing with the smallest of grins. “Ya’re good at dat, I must say.” 

“Aw, thank you,” she said, giggling as Nicole pulled her left leg over her other hip so she was all the way on her lap. “Now what?” 

Nicole glanced down, pulling at each of her nipples for a second before meeting her eyes again. “Ya got any lube?” 

Waverly’s brows shot to her hairline. “What?” 

“Do ya?” 

“I don’t know,” she mumbled cautiously. “Why?” 

The redhead smiled, dimples flashing as she dropped her hands to her hips. “I wanna pop yer cherry.” 

“Right now?” Waverly asked with even wider eyes. 

“If ya wanna? We can get it over with tonight since yer tryin’ all kinds o’ other shite out anyhow.” 

The brunette swallowed, dropping her hands to her lap. “Does . . . Is it gonna hurt?” 

Nicole gave her a soft smile. “Not too much if I’m gentle.” She rubbed her thumb on her hips. “We don't gotta, Love. Plently o’ other t’ings we can do.” Waverly thought it over for a moment before crawling off her lap and getting off the bed. “Where ya goin’?” 

Waverly pulled the drawer to the nightstand open, digging around in it before pulling out a bottle and tossing it to her. “Looking for Chrissy’s lube.” 

Nicole looked down at what she had been thrown, grinning as she shifted, scooting towards the end of the bed. Waverly dropped back down in front of her, looking down at her knee as she ran her thumb over one of the scars. “Are you sure it’ll be ok?” 

“I’m positive, Dear. I wouldn’t do anythin’ I knew might not go well. But I ain’t gonna do anythin’ ya ain’t fully comfortable with either.”

“What’re you gonna do?” The brunette asked. “Just . . .” She lifted Nicole’s hand, looking up at her. 

“Yup. Nice ‘n gentle.” 

Waverly let out a raspberry, dropping to her back with her head propped up on the pillows. “Ok. I trust you.” 

“Yea?” 

“100%,” Waverly answered with a smile. 

Nicole smiled, leaning down on top of her and pressing a kiss to her lips. “Ya tell me ta stop whenever, ‘n I will. We can jus’ do somethin’ else if-”

“Baby, I trust you. Basically every girl has to do this at some point. I think I’ll be ok.” 

The redhead nodded with a sigh, pushing a peck to her lips before she moved down her body, dropping some kisses on her skin as she went. She pushed her legs apart some more, pressing a few more kisses up the inside of her thigh before taking a look at what she was dealing with. She let out a hum as she drew her tongue up her slit, smirking when Waverly let out a soft gasp. Nicole slipped her tongue down and teased it into her entrance, looking up and watching as she bit her lip. She pulled back and sat up, grabbing the lube she had set next to Waverly’s leg. “I tink ya’re gonna be fine fer t’e most part, Love.”

“If you say so,” she mumbled, eyes on her hands as she squeezed the bottle, getting some on the tips of her fingers. 

Nicole glanced up at her, dropping her free hand to her thigh as she smeared it around her entrance, interlocking their fingers when the brunette grabbed her free hand as she  _ slowly  _ pressed her middle finger forward until she hit where the restriction was. “Alrigh’.” The redhead let go of her hand and put some more lube on her hand, spreading it all over her first two fingers of her right hand before tossing the bottle to the floor and leaning on top of her. “Ya ready?” 

Waverly looked towards the clock on the nightstand, grinning wide when she saw that it wasn’t  _ quite  _ 12 AM yet. “To lose my virginity on Halloween? Hell yea.” 

Nicole chuckled, leaning down to catch her lips, lazily rubbing her clit. “I lost mine on me 16th birthday. I guess we both got dates ta remember den.” 

“I mean, I hope you remember mine now considering that Halloween is  _ also  _ our future anniversary,” Waverly said with a tip of her head. 

The redhead smiled, kissing her again. “Like I’d forget dat.” 

Waverly giggled against her lips, cupping her cheek with one hand and sliding the other around to the back of her neck with a light grip. Nicole pushed her hand through her hair, letting out a breath as she slipped her middle finger down to her entrance and began to press it inside, hearing Waverly’s breath hitch when she kept going against the resistance. Nicole moved it in a circle around her walls to stretch her some, moving her thumb up to her clit before she pressed forward some more, going two knuckles deep. The brunette let out a hiss, pushing her shoulder to get her off her lips. “Ok, stop,” she breathed out quickly. 

“Ya alrigh’?” 

“Just . . . wait a sec.” 

“Whatever ya need,” Nicole mumbled, only keeping her thumb going. She pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Jus’ gimme t’e word.” 

The brunette closed her eyes for a few moments before looking back up at her. “Ok. I’m good.” 

Nicole let out a hum, tipping her head back towards her and leaning back into a kiss as she slowly pressed forward again, sending her finger all the way in. 

_ “Fuck,”  _ Waverly groaned, gripping her arm. “Is that all the way?” 

“Yep,” Nicole confirmed as she twisted her hand around, stretching her walls some more before smirking some as she curled her finger to press up against her front wall. 

Waverly let out a moan, her eyes widened at her.  _ “Woah.” _

“Dere’s yer g-spot,” Nicole chuckled, slowly drawing her finger back and sitting up a little to look down at her hand. “No blood yet, dat’s good.” 

_ “Yet?”  _

“We gotta do two fingers ta make sure ya’re really set,” the redhead mumbled. “Plus, dat’s funner, anyhow.”

Waverly let out a sigh, sitting up to grab her face and pulling her back down with her. “Alright, Baby. Fuck me.” Nicole widened her eyes at her, and the brunette gave her an innocent smile, pulling her into a kiss. “You heard me.” 

“I sure did,” she breathed out as she met her lips. She pressed the one finger back into her, drawing it in and out for a minute, waiting until the moans were more frequent than the twists of pain on her face to ease her pointer finger in with it. 

_ “Nicole,”  _ Waverly cried out through a throaty moan, hooking her leg over her hip to pull her closer. 

_ “Dat’s _ a good baby,” the redhead purred, nipping at the side of her chin and adding more pressure to her clit as she sped up the pumps of her fingers. “Ya’re doin’ so good, Love.” 

Waverly whimpered, raking her fingers through her hair and pulling her into a rough kiss. Nicole grabbed Waverly’s hand that wasn’t in her hair, intertwining their fingers before pushing her hand down against the mattress. The brunette squeezed it hard, sucking in a loud breath when she pulled from her lips.  _ “Oh my God, _ Nic.” 

“Is it hurtin’ anymore?” She questioned. 

“Not enough to notice really,” Waverly answered. “It-  _ fuck-  _ It feels good now.”

_ “Good?”  _ Nicole huffed. “Nah, I can’t just have  _ good.”  _ She twisted her wrist, resituating herself a bit before beginning to curl her fingers with each pump, smirking as Waverly’s hips pressed up into her hand as she let out a desperate whine. “Ya gonna come fer me, Wave?” 

“Don’t stop,” she pleaded, sliding the hand in Nicole’s hair down to her cheek and tipping her head towards her to meet her eyes. 

“No?” Nicole ditched her thumb, using her palm instead to smack against her clit with each pump. “Don’t stop?” 

Waverly let out a cry, her torso twisting and turning before her spine snapped towards the ceiling. Nicole’s name ringing out through the room when she reached her climax. The redhead kissed up her neck, slowing the pumps of her fingers before pulling them out once her walls released them after the aftershocks passed. Waverly’s chest heaved and Nicole let go of her hand, shifting to lay more on top of her as she littered more kisses up the side of her face, cupping her jaw to tip her head. 

“. . . Holy shit,” Waverly mumbled after a few more seconds, splaying her hand out across Nicole’s back.

“Holy shit, indeed,” Nicole mumbled into the bend of her jaw. 

“We need to do this, like,  _ all  _ the time.” 

The redhead lifted her head with a laugh. “I t’ink I can manage dat.” 

Waverly grinned, cupping her cheeks and pulling her into a soft kiss.  _ “Good.”  _

Nicole hummed against her lips. “Next time we’re doin’ it in me gaff, t’ough.” 

“Why?” She questioned with a furrowed brow. 

“I’ve got a whole drawer o’ friends we can bring out ta play,” Nicole smirked, shooting her a wink as she sat up off of her when Waverly’s eyes went wide. “In dere, we just gotta hope Robbie don’t walk in.” 

“Oh  _ God _ , Robin’s probably gonna see me naked at some point, isn’t he?” 

“Trust me, Love. Ya’re gonna end up seein’  _ him  _ naked, too . . . With our luck, Jer too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jeSUS  
> Ok well that happened.  
> Do y'all need water? A fan? A few minutes to process? 
> 
> Lmao, hope ya liked it!  
> Also hoped ya liked 4x01 cause WOAH


	22. Undies With Lil Moos On ‘Em

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple snacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some nasty in this chapters but I'm marking the beginning and end of it with a - if you just wanna jump from one to the other. You won't miss anything super important. 
> 
> Enjoy the nasty... and the angst

**Monday, November 1st, 1993 3:30 AM**

Jeremy groaned, slamming his hand on the screaming alarm clock and rolling closer to Robin’s body ,pressing his face into his bare chest. “I didn’t think you'd have to work during fall break.” 

Robin chuckled, running his fingers up and down Jeremy’s back. “Day’s gonna be harder fer Rosita if she even shows up. Her ‘n B-Train’ll have ta pull each other outta deir post-one night stand hangovers by five fer her get ta work on time.”

“I hate that you have to be there so early.”

“I know, Shorty,” Robin sighed, kissing his forehead. “Baker’s gotta get everyting ready ‘fore everyone’s awake.” 

Jeremy looked at him through the darkness of the dorm. “Do you have to be there until 10?” 

“Unfortunately,” he groaned, reluctantly detangling himself from Jeremy and sitting up in nothing but a pair of jack-o-lanter themed boxer briefs. “Come see me when ya wake up?” 

“Aim for seven or eight today?”

“Sounds good,” he said, patting Jeremy’s bare thigh that was poking out from the sheets he’d just pulled down. “Imma shower da wee hangover off me ‘n den head out.” 

Jeremy nodded, grabbing Robin’s pillow and hugging it to try and keep the body heat as he drifted back to sleep.

After what seemed like no time at all, Robin was leaning over him and pressing a soft kiss to his temple as he did most mornings before he grabbed a joint, a lighter, his wallet, keys, and apron and headed out. “I’ll see ya later, Shorty. Bye, Alfred.” 

Jeremy grunted at him from his half conscious state and snuggled closer to his pillow. 

**10:23 AM**

Robin gently sat on his edge of the bed and slowly adjusted until Jeremy was in his arms. He kissed the side of his head, hearing Jeremy hum a little in recognition and smiled. “Mornin’, Jer.” 

Jeremy’s eyes flicked open slowly and he looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. “Ah shit! Did I sleep through your shift?” he asked in sleepy alarm, rolling over to face Robin with a pout on his face. 

“Ya did, but it’s alrigh’,” Robin chuckled, pushing Jeremy’s early morning curls out of his face. “Figured ya were sleepin’ off yer hangover.” 

“I’m really sorry, Babu,” he said, frowning deeply at himself. “I normally wake up when the sun starts to come up.” 

“It ain’t yer fault, Baby. Don’t worry ‘bout it,” Robin assured. “How’d ya sleep?’ 

“Would have been better if you were here.” Jeremy let out a groan as he stretched in Robin’s arms and leaned up a little to press a kiss to his lips. “How was work?”

Robin sighed, sitting up and pulling off his apron and starting to untie his boots. “Rosie didn’t show so I had ta call in t’e goth chick dat glares at me when I try ‘n talk ta her.” 

“That sucks,” Jeremy mumbled, sitting up against the headboard and squinting towards the green curtains on the window that were cracked more than he would have liked. 

“Does yer head hurt?” Robin questioned, standing to put his shoes in the closet and hang his apron up. Jeremy nodded, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples while Robin pulled his shirt off and chucked it at him. “Lucky fer ya, I will be acceptin’ t’e best Babu award fer bringin’ ya coffee ‘n vegan doughnuts from work ‘n a new bottle of Advil from the store on the way home today.” 

Robin sat down at the edge of the bed and shook an iced coffee by Jeremy’s face. A smile stretched across his lips as he opened his eyes to look at the iced coffee in Robin’s hand and the box of a dozen of his favorite doughnuts sitting on the bed. 

He slowly took the coffee from Robin, sipping it and nodding. “You win that award everyday, but especially today,” he agreed, pulling Robin’s face to him so he could leave a soft kiss on his lips. “I’m really sorry I didn’t come see you at work today.” 

“Dis is da first time since da first day ya found me gettin’ high back dere dat ya haven’t come see me at work, Shorty. It ain’t a big deal,” Robin assured, kissing him again before grabbing his black coffee from the nightstand and crawling over him so he could shimmy under the covers with Jeremy, leaning back against the headboard and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. 

Jeremy scooched closer to him, resting his head on Robin’s shoulder and sipping absently on his coffee. “I wanna get another tattoo.” 

“What’d’ya wanna get?” 

“Probably something with Star Wars or Batman… Ooh, a bat signal! That would be dope.” 

Robin shook his head. “Ya’re t’e most adorable dork I ever met, ya know dat?”

“I’ve got a chemical compound on my arm, my room is decorated with action figures, and at least 70% of my closet is graphic tees. I'm a borderline geek, but because I’m also an intellectual prodigy, I’m technically a nerd,” Jeremy clarified. 

“I don’t know what t’e difference is, but t’e fact dat ya do is really cute,” Robin said, kissing the top of his head. 

“The distinction is  _ very  _ important.” 

“I’ll remember dat.” 

Jeremy nodded, leaning forward and grabbing the box of doughnuts and propping the lid open. 

“Well, maybe don’t eat dese t’ree,” Robin said, grabbing three oddly large, but plain glazed doughnuts and setting them on the nightstand. 

“Are they not vegan?” 

“Dere’s almost a can o’ Guinness in each o’ em…” Robin chuckled nervously.

Jeremy grimaced. “So, not vegan, also probably not going to help my hangover.” 

_ “Bingo.” _

**10:54 AM**

After finishing all nine non-alcoholic doughnuts between the two of them, Robin threw the box onto the floor and took a swig of his coffee. 

“I don’t know how you and Nic can drink just black coffee,” Jeremy mumbled, finishing off his iced coffee.

“The purer t’e bean juice, t’e better,” Robin said, downing the rest of the cup and dropping it next to the empty doughnut box.

“Ew.” 

Robin grinned at him. “Ya say  _ ew  _ like ya don’t kiss me even when I taste like black coffee.”

“I always wanna kiss you,” Jeremy said, setting his coffee on the nightstand and turning to look at the smirk on Robin’s face. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“I’ll look at ya how I wanna,” he said, tugging at Jeremy’s blue hoodie from his Eeyore costume that he’d never taken off due to its general comfiness. “Don’t tell me ya always wanna kiss me ‘n den  _ not  _ kiss me. Ya’ll get a lad’s hopes up doin’ dat.” 

-

“Awe, poor Babu,” he teased, leaning in and connecting their lips. He felt Robin hum into the kiss and then slide his hand up to the nape of Jeremy’s neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. Despite how repulsive he found black coffee, something about the taste of it mixed with weed and doughnuts was weirdly comforting.

Jeremy let out a soft moan into Robin’s mouth when he tugged him onto his lap by his hoodie and adjusted so that he was straddling Robin’s lap, the fronts of their bodies pressed flat against each other. He looped his arm around Robin's neck, arching into him a little more and grinding his hips into the quickly forming tent in his jeans. 

“Fuck, Shorty,” Robin moaned into his mouth. 

Jeremy smirked a little, pulling back and looking at Robin’s reddening cheeks. “I’m already getting hot,” he whined, fanning himself with the front of his hoodie. 

“Hot ‘n bothered? Yeah, Shorty, I can see dat,” he teased, palming Jeremy’s erection through his underwear. 

Jeremy closed his eyes, dropping his forehead onto Robin’s shoulder and letting out a low moan. “Yeah, I think I’m gonna need a quick shirt change if this is how the morning’s gonna go.” 

Robin nodded in agreement, pulling back and shooting Jeremy a small smirk. “Why jus’ stop at t’e mornin’?” 

“Don’t get cocky,” he grumbled, crawling off Robin’s lap and grabbing the shirt he’d thrown at him earlier. He dropped his feet over the end of the bed, fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie while Robin stood to undo his belt and kick his jeans off. “And-”

“Shut t’e curtains, I know, Shorty,” Robin said, pulling the curtains completely shut and flooding the already dim room with darkness just like they did anytime they were messing around. 

Robin turned, kneeling onto the bed and reaching out for Jeremy’s silhouette, sure that he’d be done putting on his shirt, but instead found his fingers pressing against the soft expanse of Jeremy’s bare back, making them both freeze in surprise. Jeremy’s shoulders released the tension they’d formed after a moment, but the sea of goosebumps remained under Robin’s fingers. 

He waited for Jeremy to react, to see if he’d get mad or quickly pull the shirt on, but Jeremy stayed still and Robin continued to trace his fingers down his back, feeling the dip of his spine and the rise and fall of each vertebrate.

Jeremy hardly breathed as Robin’s fingers drifted back up towards his shoulders before following the line of his body and sliding down his arm. Robin’s lips pressed a soft kiss onto his shoulder blade, making him shiver. He only waited another moment to pull the shirt over his head and turned towards Robin, catching his lips and pulling him into a deep kiss. 

Robin let out a deep growl like nothing Jeremy had heard him do before and roughly pulled him back into his lap to straddle his hips. He ran a hand through Jeremy’s curls with one hand and took a fistful of his shirt with the other. 

Jeremy bucked his hips into Robin’s, causing both of them to let out loud moans,. They pulled away for just a moment so that Robin could pull Jeremy’s cock from his underwear and start stroking him, running his thumb over the tip to collect the already forming precum and dragging it down the head. 

“Shit, Robin,” Jeremy said in a breathy moan before reconnecting their lips and fisting his hand in Robin’s hair. He used his free hand to rake his nails down Robin’s back, making him let out another low growl.He nipped at Jeremy’s lip in response, and Jeremy arched into Robin’s hands, gripping his arm. “I want your mouth… on me.” 

“Ya mean ya want a-” Robin paused, pulling back and squinting through the dark with an excited smile tugging at his lips. “Ya want me ta give ya a blowjob?”

Jeremy kissed him again, sucking in a shallow breath as Robin continued to jack him off. “Very, now, please…” he stammered. 

“Are ya sure, Baby?” 

“Yes,” Jeremy assured, bucking his hips into his hand when his movements started to slow. 

Robin kissed him roughly as he pushed him onto his back. “Ya tell me if ya want me ta stop,” he muttered before pulling away and moving down Jeremy’s body. Both of them jolted in surprise, looking towards the phone that had started ringing loudly on the nightstand. “Oh, fer feck’s sake!” Robin groaned, dropping his head onto Jeremy’s stomach. “I’m gonna bloody kill her.” 

Jeremy let out a long sigh from his nose and pulled his underwear back up as Robin pulled away from him, pausing for only a second to compose himself before picking up the phone. He flipped on the lamp and shot Jeremy an apologetic glance as he gave Nicole a highly annoyed good morning. Jeremy sighed, sitting up and running his nails up Robin’s bare thigh to try and make him feel a little better. 

“He’s with me,” Robin grumbled, taking Jeremy’s hand in his and giving him a soft smile. “Ya saw Monkey Man last night. I wasn’t ‘bout ta let Shorty go back ta his dorm alone, ‘specially since ya were at Waves’ dorm all night.” 

Jeremy’s eyes traveled over Robin’s essentially bare body and he cast him an evil smile before pushing him back to lean against the pillows. 

“What’re ya- oh…” he gasped, watching Jeremy loop his fingers under the hem of his underwear and pull them down his legs. “Oh… uh, nothin’, Kid. What were ya sayin’?” Robin fought back a smile as Jeremy moved to leave a trail of kisses up his thighs.  _ “Jer-” _ he mouthed when Jeremy took his cock in his hand and started to stroke him slowly. “Jaysus…” he groaned, twitching a little under Jeremy’s touch. 

Jeremy worked at him slowly while Nicole’s voice bounced through the phone. He ran his hand up and down Robin’s thigh, lightly trailing his nails over the skin as he watched Robin silently wraith and buck his hips into his hand.

When Nicole had finished talking, Robin had to pause for a moment to keep himself from moaning as soon as he opened his mouth. “Dat sounds…” Jeremy dug his nails into Robin’s thigh, picking up the pace of the hand that was stroking his cock. “Feck, uh, I mean, alrigh’. Yeah, good.” Jeremy grinned, knowing full well that Robin was aiming those words at him rather than to whatever Nicole had said.

Robin pulled the phone away from his mouth and threw his head back against the pillows, letting out a shaky breath before putting it back to his ear. “I ain’t on nothin’! Long shift dis mornin’ since… uh, Rosie didn’t show. Got me all outta sorts.” 

Jeremy leaned down closer to Robin’s body, hovering his mouth just an inch above his member, letting his breath cascade over it while Nicole spoke and Robin did his best to listen to her instead of watching Jeremy’s eyes glance between him and his cock. 

“Funny,” he mused before he felt Jeremy take him in his entirety into his mouth, not gagging in the slightest despite the fact that Robin had just hit the back of his throat. “Holy shite!” he gasped, taking a fistful of Jeremy’s hair and holding his head to try and keep him from going down on him again before the call was over.

“Nothin’!” he said quickly while Jeremy ran his tongue over his slit and sucked gently at the head of his cock. “Uh, can ya give us, like, feckin’, uh, t’irty minutes ‘fore ya come down here? Gotta… shower ‘n shite.”

Jeremy grinned up at him, pulling off of him completely for a moment as he drug his nails down his hips, leaving red marks down to his midthighs. Robin swallowed, letting Jeremy take about half of his cock in his mouth, bobbing his head painfully slowly. 

“Gotta go, see ya soon- Jaysus, Jer! Yer bloody mouth!” he moaned before slamming the phone down. 

Jeremy pulled off of him, a sly smile on his face. “What was that about?” 

“Ya got _ ten minutes _ to finish what ya started so we’ve got time ta get ready ta go ta t’e diner with Nic ‘n Waves,” Robin grumbled, pulling his hand from Jeremy’s hair and resting it on the back of his neck instead. 

“Gladly,” Jeremy grinned, swallowing Robin down to the base and immediately sending him into a fit of moans. 

“Bloody feckin’ hell!” he moaned, using his free hand to fist the sheets under him. 

Jeremy hummed around his cock, letting Robin buck up into his mouth a few times before starting to set a consistent pace between bobbing his head and twisting at his shaft. 

It wasn’t long that Robin’s back was arching toward the ceiling and his breathing was growing erratic. “Feck, Jer…” he moaned. “Almos- Jaysus feck!”

Jeremy squeezed his hand that was wrapped in the blankets as Robin came into his mouth, his body quivering and his mouth going slack as he rode out his orgasm. After several long moments, Jeremy pulled off of him slowly, feeling Robin jerk from the overstimulation. He crawled up to lay down next to him and Robin wrapped a still shaking arm around Jeremy, looking down at him as he rested his head on his sweaty chest.

“Was that alright?” Jeremy asked nervously.

“I don’t tink anyone’s ever been able ta… I mean, ya might have jus’ given me t’e best…” Robin looked down at Jeremy and his swollen lips again and shook his head, running his fingers up and down his back. “It was incredible, Shorty.” 

Jeremy smiled up at him and leaned up to kiss his lips softly. “I’m glad.”

“Like bloody hell, Jer,” he huffed, chuckling a little. “Ya don’t have a gag reflex, do ya?”

Jeremy shook his head. “Most people get a more intense gag reflex when they get their tonsils taken out, but I just lost mine completely,” he explained. “I thought you said you didn’t have one either.”

“I’ve gotten it down ta pretty much nothin’, but ya truly jus’ didn’t flinch.” He let out a shaky breath at the thought. “Consider me very impressed.” Jeremy gave him a proud smile and he shook his head. “And it’s also good ta know dat ya swallow,” he teased. “Fer future reference.”

Jeremy’s face flushed red. “Seems like we’re gonna have lots of time for you to enjoy that quality about me over the break.” he said, sitting up and crawling off the bed, trying to find all of his clothes from the night before, much to Robin’s dismay. “I’m gonna run upstairs to shower and change.” 

“I’ll come with ya,” Robin said, sitting up with a grunt and grabbing his underwear. 

“You don’t need to.”

Robin frowned. “Ya ain’t been ta yer dorm by yerself in t’ree days, Jer.” 

“I’ll be fine,” Jeremy assured, pulling on his hoodie and pressing a quick kiss to Robin’s lips. “I appreciate it, though.” 

“I’m comin’ with ya,” Robin said, standing and wrapping an arm around Jeremy’s waist from behind. He pressed a soft trail of kisses from his neck to his ear. “Ya needin’ a wank in t’e shower ain’t a good enough reason fer me ta let ya risk runnin’ into Champ by yerself. ‘Specially when I can help ya out with dat right now,” he whispered before taking Jeremy by the hips and throwing him back onto the bed, grinning at the bewildered expression on his face. 

“Uh… light-” Jeremy stammered, watching Robin run his hand up his thigh.

“Light,” Robin echoed, turning off the lamp before dropping back onto the bed and quickly ridding Jeremy of his underwear and brushing a section of rough, raised skin that he’d felt dozens of times already. Jeremy sucked in a breath as Robin pushed the hoodie up just enough to take the head of his cock in his mouth and swirl his tongue around it. 

“Shit… What if Nic comes in?” 

“I’ll be quick.”

“Oh,” Jeremy gasped, feeling Robin take half of his length while he worked the other half with his hand. He took a fistful of Robin’s hair and Robin let out a growl, sinking his head lower down Jeremy’s shaft. “Fuck, Robin,” he moaned, bucking his hips up slightly.

Robin grabbed Jeremy’s hips, forcing them down onto the bed. Jeremy gripped one of his wrists, taking a split second to check the position of his hoodie before throwing his head back against the bed again when Robin pressed him against the back of his throat, humming to reduce the risk of gagging.

Jeremy’s hips shuddered against his grip and a loud moan left his lips as he climaxed, releasing into Robin’s mouth. Robin stroked him a few more times with his hand before pulling off when his body had stopped shaking. 

Slowly, he moved up Jeremy’s body, resting his arms on either side of his torso and pressing a few soft kisses to his face as he came down from his orgasm. Jeremy ran his hands up Robin’s bare chest and to his face, pulling him into a deep but sweet kiss. 

-

“Dat good, aye?” Robin teased. 

Jeremy hummed in response, letting his head rest against the pillows while he tried to regain his breath. “Do we have to go hang out with Nicole and Waverly?” he asked, running the pads of his fingers over Robin’s features. “I think I’d much rather just stay here with you… alone.” 

Robin chuckled, laying a few soft kisses against Jeremy’s jaw. “Well, they were plannin’ ta go get someting ta eat and after all dat, I’m bloody starvin’.” 

“You ate  _ five  _ doughnuts, like, an hour ago!”

“Ya built me appetite up,” Robin grinned, rolling off of Jeremy after pressing one last kiss to his lips. “We can come back later. With a wee bit more energy maybe?”

Jeremy let out a sigh and forced himself to sit up. “I guess I could go for some french fries.” 

“Dat’s da spirit!” he said, patting Jeremy’s thigh and kissing his cheek. 

“Now I really need a shower,” Jeremy groaned, slowly getting out of the bed and wandering around the room aimlessly until he found a pair of jeans he’d left there before. 

“Can I hit t’e light?” Robin asked, pulling a shirt over his head. 

“Yeah.”

The lamp clicked on and both of them squinted a bit while their eyes adjusted. Robin smiled at Jeremy while he searched for his shoes. “Yer hair looks funny.”

Jeremy faked a pout. “You’re one to talk. Unless you’re going for Christopher Robin after a rough night?” 

“Dat was rude, Shorty,” Robin huffed, running a hand absently through his own hair. “Christopher Robin had a grand ol’ night, jus’ so ya know.” 

“Eeyore didn’t have anything to do with that did he?” 

Robin smirked at him grabbing his jeans from the floor. “Ah, Shorty, Eeyore had  _ everyting  _ ta do with dat.”

Jeremy snorted a laugh, snapping the waistband of Robin’s autumn leaves themed boxers as he passed him. “I have to say, I’m really gonna miss the Halloween themed underwear.”

“Don’t worry, soon as December hits, it’s gonna be all jingle bells and mistletoe,” Robin said with a smirk.

Jeremy shook his head, collecting his keys and wallet from the nightstand. “Hurry up or I’m leaving without you.” 

“Don’t ya dare!” 

**11:12 AM**

“Jer…” 

“I don’t wanna talk about it, Robin.” Jeremy reached down, grabbing the gorilla mask that Champ was cuddling from where he was passed out on the floor and pulled a somewhat large monkey stuffed animal’s head out of it. He looked around at the contents of two boxes that had been pulled out of his closet, scattering pictures, letters, and cards all across the floor and shook his head. “I don’t even wanna look at it right now.” 

He threw the gorilla mask at Champ’s face and hurried into the bathroom, trying not to succumb to a panic attack after such a good morning. He set the monkey down on the counter and started the shower, focusing his attention on everything but the carnage on the other side of the door. 

“Babu?” he called, tugging his clothes off and throwing them onto the floor. 

“Yeah?” Robin said from the other side of the door. 

“Can you find me something to wear? I don’t really care what it is.” 

“O’ course, Baby.” A few minutes after he’d climbed into the shower, there was a light knock on the door. “Can I come in? I got yer clothes.”

Jeremy forced the shower curtain all the way closed. “Yeah.” 

The bathroom door opened and closed quickly and Robin’s combat boots squeaked against the tile floor. “I jus’ got yer joggers ‘n a t-shirt but it looks kinda windy out so I grabbed yer red jacket off t’e desk chair. Also got ya some undies with lil moos on ‘em ‘n socks dat match.” 

A small smile tugged at Jeremy’s lips as he let the conditioner rinse out of his hair. “Thank you, Babu. I really like those socks.” 

“I like yer lil monkey mate” Robin said, hopping onto the sink and taking the stuffed monkey in his hands. “What’s its name?”

“You’re gonna make fun of it.”

“I would  _ never.”  _

Jeremy sighed, running his hands over his face. “I was like nine.”

“Jus’ tell me it’s name!” Robin urged.

“Potassium…” Jeremy said, laughing a little in embarrassment. 

“Like in  _ nanners?” _

“Yeah… my weird science shit started at a young age.”

Robin set the monkey in his lap. “It ain’t weird, Shorty. Ya really got someting special in dat gorgeous head o’ yer’s.” 

The water shut off and Jeremy pulled a towel off a rack right outside of the shower. “You’re really sweet.”

“I try me best,” Robin said. “Want me ta leave so ya can change.”

Jeremy paused for a moment. “Close your eyes?”

“I can do dat too,” he agreed, closing his eyes and pressing Potassium in front of his face. “Eyes are closed.”

“Promise?”

“I ain’t a bloody arsehole, Jer. Ya want me eyes closed, me eyes are closed. I promise ya dat.” 

Jeremy pushed the shower curtain open, holding the towel over his chest despite the fact that Robin couldn’t see him. He pulled the shirt from the pile of clothes on the top of the toilet and quickly pulled it on over his head. “Are you fucking serious, Robin?”

“What’d I do?” Robin asked nervously.

“I let you pick out my clothes and you put me in a shirt with your own name on it?” Jeremy shook his head, looking down at the shirt with Robin from Batman across the front of it with his name in big bold letters underneath. “Nicole’s gonna make fun of me!”

Robin snorted a laugh. “I ain’t nothin’ if not absolutely hilarious.” 

“You’re something alright,” Jeremy grumbled, turning back towards his clothes. 

“Can I open me eyes yet?”

Jeremy hopped into the cow print underwear that Robin had given him and sighed, “I don’t care.”

Robin pulled the monkey from his face and grinned at Jeremy’s back. He quickly leaned forward enough to slap his ass, pulling back in time to keep from getting hit back. “Ya got such a cute arse, Shorty. Can’t help meself sometimes.” 

Jeremy pulled on his joggers and tied them up, still keeping his back to Robin. “I’d say it’s yours to touch, but I’m not even your boyfriend.”

_ “Yet,” _ Robin huffed, hopping off the counter and wrapping his arms around Jeremy’s middle. He pressed a kiss to his neck and then another to his cheek, smiling a little when Jeremy ran his hands down his arms. “I’m waitin’ fer t’e perfect time, ‘n once again we’re in a batroom, which apparently ain’t yer idea of a romantic location.” 

“Champ’s also on the other side of this door cuddling a gorilla mask,” Jeremy added, frowning deeply. “Surrounded by my shit that he threw all over the room looking for booze last night.”

Robin turned him around in his arms and pulled him into a hug. “I’m so sorry ‘bout yer tings, Shorty.” 

Jeremy wrapped his arms around Robin’s neck and hid his face in his shoulder. “It’s like being back in the boys' home all over again.” 

“We’ll come back ‘n get it all cleaned up after lunch, alrigh’?” Robin whispered into Jeremy’s hair. “‘N if it makes ya feel better, I stepped on t’e fecker a couple times while I was gettin’ yer clothes.” 

**11:38 AM**

“Looks like Babycakes did some decoratin’ on yer neck last night,” Robin teased, flicking one of the  _ many  _ hickeys on Nicole’s neck. 

Waverly’s face burned red. She shot Nicole an apologetic smile to which Nicole just shook her head and smirked back at Robin. “I could say t’e same aboutcha, Mate.” Her eyes passed over the colorful marks scattered across his neck that seemed to have multiplied since the time they’d left the party the night before. Nicole pointed a finger in Jeremy’s direction when he opened his mouth to say something and shook her head. “Don’t tell me it dat ya chewin’ his neck makes him happy again, Jer. Dat shite makes me wanna blow chunks.” 

Jeremy dug his hands into the pockets of his joggers and looked up at her in amusement. “I mean… it does.” 

Robin thought for a moment and shrugged. “Happy ain’t quite t’e word I’d use, but-” 

_ “Ew,” _ Waverly groaned. “I don’t wanna hear about little Robin.”

“How  _ dare  _ ya call him little!” Robin gasped, groping himself to make her unconformable. “He’s far above average, ain’t he Shorty?”

Jeremy let out a sigh and pulled the door of the diner open for everyone. “Of course, Babu…” he sighed, patting Robin’s back as he followed them inside towards their normal booth in the back. 

“Honestly, Wave,” Nicole said, sitting by the window across from Robin. “He ain’t lyin’.”

The look of utter disgust on Waverly’s face sent all of them into a fit of laughter. “I didn’t  _ ever _ need to know that about you.”

Jeremy interlocked him and Robin’s fingers under the table. He threw Robin a less than amused look. “Both of us wish you didn’t, I can assure.” 

“Awe, what’s wrong?” Robin cooed, brushing Jeremy’s cheek with his thumb. “Ya ain’t like when I talk ‘bout me goods ta t’e girlies?”

Jeremy shot him a warning look and ran his free hand up Robin’s thigh. “That’s private,” he said lowly.

Robin let out a nervous cough and turned his attention back to Waverly. “I’m surprised ya ain’t gotta bigger limp, Babycakes.” 

Her face burned red once again. “How’d you know-” 

“Dey  _ don’t,  _ Love,” Nicole said, shooting her an amused grin. “Well,  _ now  _ dey do.” 

“Ya really let Nic pop yer cherry, aye?” 

“Ya ain’t have ta say nothin’,” Nicole said, leaning back in her seat. 

Waverly looked away from them. “I don’t have to say anything.”

“Dat says it all fer ya,” Robin smiled, patting her arm from across the table. Jeremy tugged at the zipper of his jacket and pulled it off, dropping it into Robin’s lap. “Ya know, Shorty. I really like seein’ me name across yer chest.”

Waverly snorted a laugh. “Awe, that’s kinda cute.”

“Robin picked out my clothes today,” Jeremy grumbled, covering the letters on his chest with his arm.

“I t’ought it was cute too,” Robin smirked. 

“It’s even cuter dat ya let Robbie pick out yer clothes,” Nicole teased.

“Sup, Padres,” Kennedy called, approaching the table with a slight limp. 

Robin raised an eyebrow at him. “Ya know, fer a  _ top, _ ya got a mighty fine ‘jus’ got fucked in t’e arse’ limp goin’ dere, me friend.”

Kennedy grinned. “When a frat boy wants you on your back, you get on your back.” 

“Ew!” Waverly whined, sticking her fingers in her ears. “TMI, Ken!”

“Looks like Robin and I are the only two without a limp today,” Jeremy chuckled. 

Robin felt Nicole shift her legs under the table. Her expression had darkened almost instantly. “Awe, dat’s feckin’ hilarious, innit, Mate?”

Jeremy’s eyes widened in realization and he opened his mouth to apologize, but no words came out. Robin squeezed his hand under the table and nudged Nicole’s foot with his own. “Aye, he ain’t mean it like dat, Kid. He was just playin’ around.” 

“Ya, well I ain’t find his jokes very funny. Sorry, Mate,” she grumbled, leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed. 

“Bub…” Waverly mumbled, squeezing Nicole’s thigh under the table. She looked nervously to Jeremy, catching that he was already drifting from the sudden drop in atmosphere. “You know he didn’t mean it like that. It’s okay.”

Nicole cleared her throat and looked up at Kennedy. He’d been standing there looking extremely uncomfortable the whole time. “We gonna order or what?”

Jeremy sucked in a sharp breath and pulled his hand away from Robin’s. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom.” 

Robin sighed, closing his eyes for a moment when Jeremy disappeared into the bathroom. “Go ahead ‘n order.” 

Nicole and Waverly read off their orders quickly. Robin looked up after they were done and got two plates of fries and told Kennedy to bring out a piece of dutch apple pie that Jeremy had been excited to try after learning that it was vegan.

“Robin, what the hell is up with Jer?” Waverly asked when Kennedy left for another table. “He normally isn’t so reactive to things like that.”

“He ain’t havin’ a good mornin’,” Robin grumbled.

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Sounded like ya were havin’ a good mornin’ when I called t’e dorm earlier.”

He pulled his lighter out of his pocket, clicking it open and closed a few times. “We were, trust me, we were…” he trailed. “Den we went up ta his dorm so he could shower ‘n change, ‘n Champ had a couple boxes of his tings dumped all over t’e floor. Guess he was lookin’ fer booze dat Jer kept up in the closet.”

“So he’s pissy over his tings gettin’ t’rown ‘round?” Nicole huffed.

“He ain’t like dat, Nic,” Robin said coldly, looking up from his lighter at her. “When he was showerin’ I looked t’rough some of it ‘n it was a bunch of pictures ‘n letters from his mam.” 

“He feelin’ homesick or someting?”

Waverly cringed a little and ran her thumb across Nicole’s thigh. “Baby, uh, Jer and his mom were in a car accident together when he was eleven and she didn’t make it out… he spent the last seven years in a boy’s group home because he doesn’t have any other family.”

Nicole’s eyes widened a bit and she nodded. “Jer’s a bloody orphan. Good ta know. T’ough it woulda been real  _ nice  _ if one o’ yas had mentioned dat before now.” 

“I thought you knew!” both of them argued. 

Waverly looked towards the bathrooms and sighed, “He’s taking a long time.”

“Prolly scared Nic’s gonna eat him when he comes back,” Robin grumbled. 

Nicole shot him an annoyed look. “Yeah, well, Chrissy saw me knee dis mornin’ ‘n I had t’e worst flashback I’ve had in over a  _ month _ , so  _ sorry  _ if I hit a nerve by yappin’ at ‘em, but I ain’t been havin’ t’e best day either.

Robin snapped his lighter closed again. His nose flared a bit in anger as he looked at her. “Jaysus, Kid. Why didn’t ya tell me already?” 

“I jus’ did,” she shrugged. “Ain’t had another chance ta.” 

Robin let out a sigh, rubbing his face. “Everybody’s havin’ shite days, dat’s jus’ bloody amazin’.” 

After another minute, Jeremy appeared out of the bathroom and took his seat next to Robin again. He pulled his knees up into the seat, slouching a little, but didn’t look as upset as when he left. 

Robin thought back to some health teacher in secondary school telling them about how people with anxiety or depression make themselves physically smaller when they feel stressed or unwanted in a situation and frowned a little. 

Jeremy hesitantly took Robin’s hand with both of his, playing with his fingers for a moment before looking up at the silent table and pursing his lips. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said to Nicole in a voice that was soft but not quite a whisper.

“I know ya didn’t, Jer,” she sighed. “I’m sorry fer snappin’ at ya. I ain’t feelin’ too hot dis mornin’.” 

“I bear  _ food!” _ Kennedy announced, appearing from the back and starting to set out plates of food in front of everyone. 

Jeremy sat up a little at the sight of two massive baskets of french fries being set down in front of him and Robin. “You got me french fries!” he said, excitedly shaking Robin’s hand. 

Robin smiled a little, squeezing Jeremy’s hand. “Said dat’s whatcha wanted, so o’ course dat’s what Imma get ya.” 

“Why didn’t you get something else?” 

He shrugged. “I didn’t wanna eat another salad today.”

“Cheers ta dat,” Nicole chuckled, pointing at him with one of the french fries she stole out of his basket and getting a smack from Waverly. Robin rolled his eyes at her.

“But you're hungry.” Jeremy’s eyes softened a bit and he frowned again. “You should get something else. A burger or something, it’s okay.”

“I ain’t eatin’ a burger while yer wearin’ cow socks,” Robin chuckled. 

“Aye! Don’t be shy, show us t’e cow socks,” Nicole ordered with an excited grin as she peered over the table. Jeremy rolled his eyes, lifting his leg a little and pulling his joggers up to show the cow print. Nicole hummed in approval. “Dem some good socks right dere.” 

Robin grinned at her. “I picked ‘em out. Match his-” 

“Babu…” Jeremy warned, nudging him with his elbow.

“-Match his love fer animals,” Robin said slowly, earning a smile from Jeremy. “Which is why I ain’t gonna eat a burger in front o’ ya.”

“Ya should try t’e mac ‘n cheese toastie, Robbie,” Nicole said, waving her sandwich around. “I tink ya’ll like it.” 

Jeremy popped a few french fries into his mouth and nodded. “Most of the cheese around here is locally sourced. Lots of dairy farms.” 

“Dat mean it ain’t gonna tear up me insides?” Robin asked, remembering all the awful facts about GMOs and preservatives that Jeremy had told him. 

“I mean, that’s debatable,” Jeremy said after a moment of thought. “But it’s probably not as bad for you or the environment.” 

“I’ll take dat,” he said, looking around and waving Kennedy over to the table.

“What’s up, Babe?” 

Robin’s eyebrows raised and his jaw clenched in annoyance. “Come again, Mate?” 

“Padre!” Kennedy backtracked, clicking his pen nervously. “What can I do for you,  _ Padre?” _

“Give ‘em one o’ dese,” Nicole said, holding up her sandwich. 

“One mac and cheese grilled cheese, gotcha. Anything else?” Robin shook his head, shoveling fries into his mouth while Jeremy ran his thumb up and down his hand under the table. 

“Gimme a nanner shake,” Nicole said through a mouthful, quickly looking towards Waverly. “As long as t’e vegans approve.” 

“You have two vegan go-aheads,” Waverly assured with a giggle, squeezing her hand. 

“One banana milkshake. Alright. Anything else?” He flicked his eyes towards Robin, seeing that he was now refusing to look at him. “Ookay,” Kennedy mumbled, turning away from the table to go put the order in.

Waverly clapped her hands together. “So! What’s everyone’s plans for fall break?”

“Hangin’ with ya,” Nicole grinned, running a hand down Waverly’s thigh. “‘N doin’ other tings ta ya.”

Jeremy gagged at them, and this time  _ he  _ was the one to say, “Ew!” 

“Rosie ‘n I are runnin’ T’e Muffin Man booth at t’e Harvest Fest,” Robin said, shoveling fries into his mouth.

“You didn’t tell me you were doing a booth!” Jeremy pouted. “I wanted to take you.” 

“Were ya gonna take me on a date, Shorty?” Robin asked, grinning at the way Jeremy’s cheeks turned pink.

“Maybe…” 

“T’e hell is a Harvest Fest?” Nicole grumbled. “Dat like Oktoberfest?”

Robin shrugged. “Far as I gather, it’s basically just a fair fer fall tings.” 

Waverly nodded. “It’s a big thing the Uni does every year. People from all over Calgary come to it. It’s got booths where you can get caramel apples, kettle corn, apple cider, and stuff like that. It’s also got carnival games and a big ol’ area where people are just selling crafts. We also have live music from some of the local bands and-” 

“I’m playin’ in dat too!” Robin said excitedly. “Allenbach asked me ‘n Levi ‘n a couple ot’er people to do a couple sets.” 

“Our best jazz band kids play,” Waverly finished, grinning. “Oh and Nic, they’ve got a pumpkin patch!”

“Why do ya need a punking if Halloween already happened?” Robin asked.

“It’s still spooky season!” Waverly said, pointing out the window at the street littered with dead leaves and students walking around in fall sweaters. “Never too late for pumpkins!”

Robin shook his head as Kennedy came and set his sandwich down in front of him along with the piece of pie he’d ordered for Jeremy and Nicole’s shake. 

“Is that the dutch apple pie?” Jeremy asked.

“Sure is,” Kennedy said before heading off to another table.

“Robin!” Jeremy gasped, slapping Robin’s arm. 

“What’d I do now?” he groaned. 

Jeremy stuck out his bottom lip and looked at his pie. “You got me the pie I told you I wanted last week.”

“Ya weren’t feelin’ well ‘n I was tryna cheer ya up,” Robin said softly, a light blush creeping onto his face when he caught Nicole grinning at him.

“You’re sweet, Babu. I didn’t think you’d even remember that.”

“Well, t’e tings ya tell me are important, Shorty.”

Jeremy pulled his knees away from his chest and crossed his legs in the booth. Something in Robin’s chest lifted a bit from seeing Jeremy’s anxiety lift enough for him to stop making himself small and he smiled. 

“Goonga saphed ladaka…” Jeremy said under his breath before taking a bite of the pie.

“What’s dat mean?” Robin asked, glancing between Jeremy and Waverly. “Is he sayin’ someting in another language again?”

Waverly took one look at the smile on Jeremy’s face and smiled. “He called you a dumb white boy in Hindi, but I think he meant it in an endearing kinda way.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you enjoy the nasty... and the angst?


	23. Ya’re Me Favorite Smell in t’e World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole has a bad morning, and Waverly learns a whole lot more about her than she thought she would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALOHA MOTHERFUCKERS  
> That's right, Queef's back with some ANGST  
> Oh, if ya want some MORE angst, go check out my YAMHP sequel if ya haven't already! I've got two chapters up and the last one is a HAUGHT MESS  
> Anywho, yea. With this one, just when you think the angst is over, it'll come back to bite you in the ass, so watch out lmao  
> I feel like you guys are gonna be REALLY happy with what we're learning here....  
> Anyways enjoy the angst with a hint of crackhead and sexy time  
> TW: Little tiny mention of suicidal thoughts?

**Monday, November 1st, 1993, 10:25 AM**

Chrissy rubbed her eyes with a yawn and she pushed her dorm door open. She walked inside, immediately pulling the closet door open and dropping her orange boots into their designated spot. She had just made her walk of shame _all the way_ from the frat house back to the dorm, but knew walking in those evil boot stilettos would be even more painful than it was with just her bare feet. She pushed off the wall by the closet she had been leaning her whole hungover body against whilst setting them down and turned around, stopping dead in her tracks when she looked towards Waverly’s bed.

“Well, _damn.”_

Waverly was on her back, tits on full display with the blanket covering the majority of the rest of her body. For Nicole, though, it was quite the opposite. She was on her back, using Waverly’s shoulder as a pillow with her leg hitched over her hips, and the blanket was barely on her at all, leaving the _pastiest white ass_ out for the world to see. 

Chrissy smirked wide as she walked over to them. _“My best friend got fucked, my best friend got fucked, my best friend got fucked-”_ She drummed both hands on Nicole’s ass as she finished the last chant. “MY BEST FRIEND GOT FUCKED!” 

_“Jaysus!”_ Nicole rolled right off the bed and landed on her back by Chrissy’s feet with a thud, letting out a groan as she grabbed the closest piece of clothing to her- which happened to be Waverly’s tutu- and held it over her crotch as she looked up at Chrissy. “What t’e _fuck,_ Mate?” She muttered in a half-asleep slur. 

_“Chrissy,”_ Waverly groaned through a whine, blocking the sun from her eyes with her arm as she pulled the blanket over herself with the other hand. 

“Good morning to- _you.”_ The blonde’s eyes widened when she looked down at Nicole’s knee. “Holy shit, Dude.” 

Nicole growled when she saw where her eyes were, shoving her back so she could pull herself back onto the bed. “Bloody ‘ell,” she muttered under her breath as she slipped under Waverly’s arm, curling into her side with her back to Chrissy. 

Waverly glared at Chrissy, grabbing her glasses off the nightstand and pushing them on so she could properly see the fear etched on her face. “What d’you wake us up for?” She grumbled. 

“‘Cause I got excited you two did the nasty,” Chrissy mumbled, shifting back a few steps away from her glare before turning towards the closet and pulling out a shirt and some leggings to change into. 

The brunette let out an annoyed sigh, “Yep, sure did.”

Nicole lifted her head from her chest and turned it to look at Chrissy, letting out a groan and shoving her face into Waverly’s chest to sheild her eyes when she saw that her boobs were out since she was peeling her bodycon dress off. “Turn t’e _feck_ around, Nedley. I ain’t wanna see all dat.” 

“Yea, well, I didn’t wanna see your ass either, but here we are.” 

Nicole huffed. “Ya came in ‘ere _knowin’_ dis was where we were endin’ t’e night at. Dat’s yer own bloody fault!” 

Chrissy rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, if you don’t wanna see my tits then don’t fucking look at me, Haught! Problem solved!”

“Will both of you _stop?”_ Waverly huffed. “I just hit hangover and I _don’t_ need your screaming.” Nicole muttered something under her breath as she pushed herself off of Waverly, and the brunette raised her brows high when she realized whatever she had just said was in _Irish._ “Baby-”

“I’m gettin’ in t’e shower,” she grumbled as she grabbed her underwear off the floor and pulled them on, stomping over to the dresser and grabbing a sweatshirt and some jeans of her’s that she kept in there before slamming the bathroom door behind her. Waverly let out an agitated sigh as she sat up and rubbed her face for a few seconds before climbing off the bed. 

“What crawled up her ass?” Chrissy mumbled. 

The brunette threw her a sharp look, moving her out of the way from the closet and grabbing the grey hoodie she had stolen from Nicole at some point, pulling it on knowing it was like a dress on her. “You saw her _knee_ , Chrissy.” 

_“Ok?”_

“She doesn’t _let_ people see her knee,” Waverly grumbled, turning from her when the realization passed over the blonde’s face and walking up to the door, giving it a soft knock. “Bub . . .” She waited a few seconds for a response, but she didn’t get one. The shower wasn’t running yet and everything on the other side of the door was completely silent. “Bub, I’m coming in,” she said gently as she pushed the door open, furrowing her brow at the redhead sitting on the counter as she closed it behind her. “Nic.” 

Nicole didn’t look at her directly, more so just in her direction before she flicked her eyes back forward and tipped her head back some, tracing her eyes across the wall in front of her. “. . . Ta me i gcruachais.”

Waverly shook her head a little in confusion. “I don’t know what that means, Honey. I haven’t started learning Irish yet- I didn’t even know _you_ knew a lot of Irish.” Nicole’s lip hitched and she closed her eyes with a quick wiggle of her head, opening them again and looking across the wall again. “Nicole?” She walked closer to her, stepping in between her knees and placing her hands gently on her thighs. “Hey.”

The redhead dropped her glazed-over gaze to look at Waverly, furrowing her brow. “Where’s O’Leary, Baby?” 

“What?” Waverly asked in confusion. “Who’s that?”

Nicole ran her thumbs over her hands, tracing her eyes idly around the bathroom again. “L . . . He’s-” She lifted her head and her mouth fell open, all of the color seeming to drain from her face. _“Falling.”_ The redhead’s eyes snapped closed and she pulled her arms to her chest as she leaned back against the bathroom mirror.

“Woah, hey.” Waverly wrapped her fingers around her wrists. “Nic, look at me.” 

Nicole opened her eyes, her chest heaving as she met Waverly’s eyes for a millisecond before snapping them around the room and looking down at herself. She stretched her knee out and ran her pointer finger across it, letting out a nervous breath. Waverly grabbed her hands, and Nicole looked back down at her, cupping her face with a squeeze. “Wh- . . . Ya’re here?” 

“Yea, Sweetheart,” Waverly answered softly. “I’m here. Are you here?” 

“Am I?” Nicole questioned quietly as she looked down at herself again. “I t’ink I am.” 

“Ok,” Waverly said with a breath of relief. “I don’t want you back wherever you just were.” 

Nicole swallowed roughly, rubbing her eyes with a shaky breath. “I wish it were dat simple.” 

Waverly ran her hands across her thighs, pulling her attention back towards her. “You- I didn’t know you had flashbacks.” 

Nicole shrugged. “I have ‘em all t’e time, but . . . not a lot like dis a whole lot.”

“It’s still going?” She asked softly. The redhead met her eyes, and she didn’t even need an answer to see that it was; The pain on her face made it evident. Waverly cupped her cheek, feeling her flinch before relaxing into it. “How often does it happen?”

“Tiny ones’re a few times a day, but bad ones’re about once or twice a week.”

Waverly’s brow saddened. “Why aren’t you in _therapy,_ Baby?” 

“Therapy’s fer _pussies,”_ she grumbled, rubbing her eyes again. 

The brunette pulled her hands from her face with a huff. “It is _not._ I . . . I don’t know what you went through, but talking it out with someone would _help.”_

Nicole shook her head. “I ain’t even _ready_ ta start talkin’ about it, ‘n if I ever am, I know _damn well_ it ain’t gonna be with someone I never met before.” 

“Sometimes it’s _better_ when it’s someone you don’t know,” Waverly reasoned, touching her jaw to get her eyes back on her. “I _hated_ talking with anyone I knew about all the shit from my childhood for a _long_ time, but I was _fine_ with the therapist my mom made me go see right after my dad died. I saw her from when I was nine to before I graduated high school. That’s why I’m able to deal with it better now . . . And, what, all of _this_ happened within the last year?” She spun her hand around in front of her knee and shoulder. “And I’m _assuming_ it’s all connected to whatever your flashbacks are. You just . . . you need to get it out now instead of later.” 

“Wave, me mum forced me into therapy before I came ‘ere. I was in it fer a bit, but it was t’e _worst._ I ain’t doin’ it again- And, besides, it ain’t like I can get one over here anyhow.” Nicole pressed her hands against the brunette’s shoulders to get her to step back so she could hop off the counter. “Imma get in t’e shower ‘n den we can go grab somethin’ ta eat at t’e diner, alrigh’?” 

Waverly sighed sadly but nodded. “Ok.” 

Nicole smiled a little, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her nose. “Don’t worry ‘bout me too much, yea? I promise ya, I’m fine.” 

Waverly dropped her gaze as she rested her hands on her waist and rubbed her thumbs across her ribs. She looked back up at her, tipping her head as she spoke gently, “. . . You know it’s _ok_ to not be fine, right?” 

Nicole clenched her jaw hard enough to break her teeth. She shook her head with a sigh, smiling at her despite the fact that there were now tears in her eyes. “Sometimes when ya tell yerself somethin’ fer long enough, ya start believin’ dat it’s true.” 

Waverly’s mouth fell open and her jaw stuttered a few times. “Baby . . . That’s not a solution.” 

“It’s been workin’ thus far,” she mumbled as she gave the brunette a nudge towards the door. 

“How?- How’s that _working?”_ Waverly asked, her voice cracking as the redhead backed her up a step or two more. 

Nicole swallowed down the burn in her throat, shrugging a little. “I’m still here, ain’t I?” Waverly’s hands gripped harder into her waist as she felt her face pale. “I’d say it means me methods’re workin’ quite nicely since dat be t’e case.” 

Waverly’s back touched the door and she roughly shook her head, knocking some tears out of her eyes. “You _listen_ to me.” She grabbed Nicole’s chin and pulled her head down closer to her own. “You’re _here_ and you _stay.”_

Nicole dropped her forehead to press against Waverly’s, closing her eyes and feeling a tear slip out of one. “I’m here ‘n I stay, Love.” She opened her eyes to meet Waverly’s. “Ain’t anywhere I wanna be but right here.” 

Waverly nodded, pushing off the door and wrapping her arms around her middle with a python grip. Nicole stumbled back a step before squeezing her arms around Waverly’s top half and letting her chin rest on top of her head. The brunette tipped her head to the side, snuggling against her chest with a shaky exhale. “Ok . . .” 

Nicole sniffled, squeezing her a little tighter before pulling back some and sliding her hands up to her face, wiping her thumbs under her glasses to clear the tears there. She drooped her arms over her shoulders and gave her a little smile. “Ya make me soft,” she mumbled.

“Good.” 

“I ain’t ever been a softie ‘till now, ask Robbie.” 

Waverly smiled, gently running her nails across her sides. “I still think you’re an annoying hardass a lot of the time, so I believe it.”

Nicole chuckled, backing up a step. “Can I shower now?”

“As long as you realize we’re not done talking about this,” Waverly said with a raise of her brows. 

The redhead pursed her lips but nodded with a sigh, “We will, yea.” 

“Ok,” Waverly mumbled, stepping towards her and hooking her fingers on the band of her boxers as she leaned up into a kiss. She smirked a little, continuing to trace her thumb up and down the V of her abs a few more times before ripping her underwear down. 

Nicole laughed before pulling back to look down at her. “How’d I know ya were gonna do dat?” 

Waverly shrugged with an innocent smile, slipping her hands around and squeezing her ass as she pulled her closer. “I dunno.” 

Nicole shook her head at her as she nudged her hoodie up, smirking as she palmed her ass. “Now we’re even.” 

The brunette giggled, standing up on her toes to meet her halfway as she gave her one last kiss. “Ok. Get in the shower. You stink.” 

“If ya mean I smell like sex, I reckon ya’re gonna need ta hop in ‘ere after me.” 

Waverly smiled, glancing down and lifting her hand to run across the bottom hem of her sports bra, knowing she had never seen her without that and her compression sleeve on. “Maybe one day we won’t have to take separate ones, but . . .” She looked back up to meet Nicole’s eyes. “I’m fine with waiting until you’re ready for that.” 

Nicole gave her a small smile, though Waverly could see the pain back behind her eyes. “One day.” 

Waverly took a step back before turning and pulling the door open just enough to slip out. “One day.” 

Nicole watched the door close behind her, waiting for the click to let out the heavy sigh she had been holding in. She turned the lock on the door and looked up at herself in the mirror in front of her for a few seconds, feeling her jaw tighten as she reached up and pulled the velcro strip across her chest off, dropping her compression sleeve to the floor. Her eyes fell to the reflection of her shoulder and she ran her hand across it before rolling her eyes, pulling her bra off and starting the shower. 

**11:04 AM**

Nicole pushed open the bathroom door and walked out, dropping her compression sleeve and boxers onto the end of the bed, taking into note that Chrissy was passed out on her own bed. “Are you going commando today?” Waverly asked with a giggle from her spot reading her new book towards the head of her bed. 

The redhead rolled her eyes at her with a smile. _“For now._ We’re stoppin’ by me gaff on t’e way to t’e diner so I can get another pair ‘n me other sleeve.”

“What’s wrong with that one?” She asked as she set the book on the nightstand, sitting up and pulling her legs crisscross. 

“Smells like sex,” Nicole grinned, leaning her good knee on the bed and grabbing her legs, pulling her down before dropping on top of her. 

Waverly let out a surprised shriek, pushing her hands into her wet hair with a smile. “Hi there.” 

“Hi,” she echoed back.

“That was an awful long shower . . . You feel better now?” She asked gently, slowly working her fingers through her hair.

“I do,” Nicole confirmed, leaning down towards her face with a smile.

The brunette accepted the kiss, sliding her hands down the sleeves of her green sweatshirt. She let out a chuckle as Nicole pulled away. “You smell like _me.”_

“Weird, innit?”

 _“Really_ weird,” she agreed. 

Nicole smiled. “I kinda like it, t’ough. I like how ya smell ‘n now it’s all over me.”

Waverly pouted, “You know how I smell?” 

“Of course I do. Ya're me favorite smell in t’e world.” Nicole raised her brows at her. “Speakin’ of . . .” She pushed off of her. “Get yer arse in t’e shower and put yer smell pretty on so I can smell _all_ o’ ya.” 

_“Perfume,”_ Waverly corrected with a laugh as she crawled off the bed.

Nicole dropped back down on the bed, grabbing her pillow and turning it so she could still wrap her arms around it while having her head on it. “Smell pretty.” 

The brunette shook her head, grabbing some ripped blue jeans out of her closet and some stuff out of her dresser, deciding that she would just wear Nicole’s hoodie that she had on for the day. She looked towards her as she headed for the bathroom. “I’ll be quick.” 

“Take yer time, Love. I ain’t goin’ nowhere.” 

Waverly smiled at her with a nod before heading in to shower. Nicole let out a sigh, laying there for a few minutes just listening to the sound of the water running, Chrissy’s loud sleep breathing, and the occasional sound of footsteps from people walking around outside the dorm. 

She rolled to her back after a bit, staring up at the ceiling for a few seconds before looking over towards the nightstand and grabbing the phone. She pulled the box over to sit on her stomach and dialed her own number, pressing the phone to her ear. 

_“Mornin’,_ Gobshite,” Robin grumbled when he answered. 

“Mornin’ ta ya, too,” Nicole grumbled back. “Where’s Jeremy? Did he stay with ya last night?” 

“He’s with me,” he answered. “Ya saw Monkey Man last night. I wasn’t ‘bout ta let Shorty go back ta his dorm alone, ‘specially since ya were at Waves’ dorm all night.”

Nicole let out a sigh. “Ok, well I was jus’ callin’ ta tell ya dat-” 

“What’re ya- oh . . .” 

“What?” She questioned with a furrow of her brows. 

_“Jaysus,_ oh . . . uh, nothin’ Kid. What were ya sayin’?”

“I was sayin’ dat me ‘n Waves are headed fer t’e diner for some food in a bit if t’e both of ya wanted ta join us,” she answered. 

“Dat sounds . . . feck, uh, I mean, alrigh’. Yeah, good.” 

The redhead shifted the phone to the other ear and cocked her brow. “What t’e _feck_ is wrong with ya? What’re ya on, ya stutter bug?” 

“I ain’t on _nothin’!_ Long shift dis mornin’ since . . . uh, Rosie didn’t show. Got me all outta sorts.” 

Nicole chuckled a little. “Damn, B-Train musta _railed_ her pretty well den.” 

“Funny,” Robin mused. _“-Holy shite!”_

 _“What?”_ Nicole groaned again.

“Nothin’!” He said quickly. “Uh, can ya give us, like, feckin’, uh, t’irty minutes ‘fore ya come down here? Gotta . . . shower ‘n shite.”

Nicole was quiet for a couple of seconds, her face slowly twisting in disgust. “. . . Robbie. What’s Jer Bear doin’ ta ya?” 

“Gotta go, see ya soon- _Jaysus, Jer! Yer bloody mouth!”_

The line went dead, and the redhead slowly pulled the phone from her ear, letting out an uncomfortable sigh as she placed it on the holder and moved the box back to the nightstand. “Well den.” She rubbed her face a few times, trying to rid the haunting images of whatever the _fuck_ was currently happening in her dorm out of her head.

She let out a grunt as she pushed off the bed, walking over to the bathroom door and giving it a knock. “Wave?” 

“Yea, Baby?” Waverly called back from in the shower. 

Nicole peeked her head in, seeing her shampooed head poking out of the shower curtain. “I asked Robbie and Jer ta come get food with us. Dat alrigh’ with ya?” 

Waverly shrugged. “I don’t care. The more the merrier.” 

Nicole smiled a little. “M’kay. Jus’ wanted ta check.” 

“Ok,” Waverly chuckled. “I won’t be too much longer.”

“Take yer time,” she mumbled. “Dey’re a bit . . . _preoccupied_ at t’e moment.” 

Waverly scrunched her face up, pulling her head back into the shower. “Ew! Why’d you have to tell me that?!” 

_“I_ had ta hear it over t’e phone!” Nicole argued. “It’s only fair!” 

_“Gross!”_

“Aye, tell me about it!” 

“Don't you _dare_ tell me anything else,” Waverly grumbled, poking her head back out with a warning look.

Nicole shook her head with a grin. “Oh, I’ll leave dat up ta yer imagination.”

 _“Nic!”_ She whined.

“Enjoy yer shower, Love,” the redhead chuckled, hearing her groaning loud as she pulled the door closed behind her, walking back over to the bed with a huge smirk on her face. 

**Tuesday, November 2nd, 1993, 3:05 PM**

_“Bub,”_ Waverly said through a moan. “You’re gonna miss your bus.” 

“I’ll feckin’ run if I gotta,” Nicole muttered near her ear, walking her lips down her neck as she pushed her fingers deeper inside her with several pumps of her wrist. 

_Waverly_ had work in 10 minutes and _Nicole_ had a bus to catch to get herself to her physical therapy appointment, but they were both a _little_ busy fucking in one of the bathrooms in the administration building. Nicole had Waverly sat on one of the rails in the handicapped stall with her hand up the bottom of her skirt and the brunette’s face pressed into her neck to keep her moans from being too loud. 

_“Fuck,”_ Waverly whined, locking her ankles tighter around her back and tightening her fingers into the collar of Nicole’s dark-colored flannel at the back of her neck. 

_“Yer_ t’e one dat decided ta come see me with dis lil outfit ya put together here,” Nicole growled. “And _yer_ t’e one who was bein’ a tease walkin’ up ‘ere, spinnin’ around ‘n shite _knowin’_ ya can basically see yer arse hangin’ out t’e bottom o’ dis skirt.” She shoved her fingers forward hard, feeling her hips jump roughly into her hand. 

“I’m sorry,” Waverly breathed out into her neck. 

“Oh, I’ll make ya sorry.” Nicole wrapped her fingers around her throat and forced her head back against the wall, meeting her lips. The brunette let out a sharp moan into her mouth, and Nicole felt her walls pulsing around her fingers. “Mm, yer gonna come, ain’t ya?” 

“Mhm,” she mumbled softly.

“Mhm,” Nicole echoed, squeezing her hand into her neck harder and getting her to meet her eyes when she pulled from the kiss. “Come fer me, Darlin’.” 

Waverly bit down on her own lip hard, bringing her hand up to wrap around Nicole’s wrist. Her chest heaved a few more times before her hand slid up to tighten into her hair as she came. Nicole grinned as she watched her, having seen her eyes snap shut and felt her legs tighten around her body as her hips thrusted towards her a few times. Waverly’s teeth attached to her lip had kept most of the noise in, but the redhead still got a couple of whimpers and whines out of her before her hands fell to rest on the bar on either side of her body. _“Shit.”_

“Dere we go,” Nicole muttered, letting the hand around her neck fall to rest on the top of her thigh as she pulled the other out from under her skirt.

Waverly grabbed her wrist before she could do anything else with it, bringing her hand up to her mouth and taking the two fingers she had been using all the way into her mouth. Nicole’s eyes fluttered shut as her lips parted, and the brunette let out a hum, pulling them out with a pop. _“There_ we go.” 

“Well, fuck,” Nicole breathed out when her darkened eyes opened again. 

“Did I fluster you, Sweetheart?” Waverly asked with a pouted lip, immediately righting it with the warning look she was shot.

Nicole smirked a little, leaning into a gentle kiss. “I told ya dis’d be fun.” 

Waverly cupped her cheeks with a smile, pulling her in again and giggling when the redhead pulled her off the bar, holding her up for a few seconds before finally breaking the kiss as she set her on the floor. “You were right,” she confirmed. “And no one came in, so lucky us.” 

Nicole chuckled, unlocking the door and pulling it open, letting the brunette out first. “T’ankfully.”

Waverly let out a raspberry, standing at the mirror and fixing her hair for a few seconds before spinning towards the redhead and gripping her hands into the sides of her opened flannel. “You, Ma’am, need to get going.” 

“‘N miss a minute I could be with _you?”_ Nicole asked with a pout.

Waverly tipped her head. “I think you’ll be alright.” 

Nicole sighed, leaning down and giving her the last kiss she knew she’d be able to give her before she left. “I won’t.” 

“You can just come see me after you’re done,” Waverly tried to reason. 

“I told Robbie I’d go see ‘em while he’s settin’ up fer t’e Harvest Fest,” she mumbled. 

Waverly frowned, sliding her hands down to hook on the loops on the front of her dark grey jeans. “I guess we’ll just have to call when I get home? I’m sorting midterm grades into student files, and _six_ of us have _three_ days to get through over 20,000 students, so I’m gonna be brain-dead when I’m off work.” 

Nicole nodded with a sad sigh, pulling her into a hug. “. . . Have a good day,” she mumbled softly after a few seconds. 

Waverly smiled against her chest, squeezing her before pulling back. “You, too, Bub. Don’t go too hard at PT, ok?” 

“I won’t,” she promised, releasing her from her arms and moving towards the door, holding it open for her.

“Bye,” the brunette mumbled, giving her a little smile as she turned towards the office as Nicole headed for the front doors. 

“See ya, Love.”

Waverly continued towards the office and headed in, stopping as she passed the Dean’s office. “Hi, Dr. Lucado.” 

She looked up from her desk, giving the brunette a smile. “Hello, Waverly.” 

Waverly returned the smile before continuing on and heading to the huge file room, seeing that everyone there to help was already there and waiting for her to start. “Sorry,” she said with a sigh, moving over towards where her _huge_ stack of designated papers was. 

_“Someone_ was busy,” Rachel smirked from beside her, poking a hickey on her neck a few times. 

Waverly let out a huff, pulling the hem of her red partial-turtleneck shirt up. “Leave me be.” 

“I know who gave her those!” Levi sang, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Waverly threw a pen at him across the table with wide-eyes. _“Shh.”_

“Waverly Earp getting _laid?”_ Mattie faux-gasped, smirking at her. “Who woulda thunk it?”

“Stop!” Waverly whined, and Poppy let out a snort from the other side of her. The brunette threw her a glare. “Oh, don’t you start.” 

“I didn’t say anything,” she defended, trying to hide a grin. 

_“Winnie!”_ Levi moaned loudly.

 _“Levi!”_ Waverly whined. “Ew, oh my god! Stop!” 

“Guys, she said stop.” 

All of their eyes fell to Tucker at the far end of the table, and Waverly cleared her throat a little, giving him a little smile. “It’s fine, Tucker.” 

“They’re making you uncomfortable, Waverly,” he said with his hands balled at his sides. “That’s not ok.” 

“Coming from _him,”_ Poppy mumbled quietly, and Waverly smacked her stomach. 

She looked back towards him. “They’re just messing with me. I don’t really care.” 

“Well, they should cut it out,” he huffed. “You don’t deserve it.” 

Waverly pulled her eyes from him and let out a sigh, looking around at all of their creeped out faces. _“Ook._ Let’s get started then, yea?” 

“I’ve got A through D,” Mattie said as she waved around the paper that was on top of her pile. 

“I’ve got E through I,” Waverly said, pushing her hair back behind her ears as she thumbed through her stack of midterm score papers. 

Rachel caught her stack before she knocked it over trying to see what letter was at the bottom. “J through M.” 

“N through Q,” Tucker grumbled, already having started filing a while before now it seemed. 

“R through U,” Poppy said before pulling the cap of a pen off with her teeth and jotting something down on her hand. 

“Valdez through Zubek,” Levi announced. 

“What?” Rachel asked. 

“Those- I’ve got those last names,” he mumbled. 

“Oo, lemme see how I did,” she grinned, reaching over and snatching the first sheet off his stack. “Hell yea! I passed my Algebra final!” 

“What’d you get?” Waverly questioned, looking over her shoulder and widening her eyes at the score that was .2% away from being a fail. “Oh, you literally mean you _passed.”_

Rachel threw her a look. “Ok, Perfect Pants. You’ve got E first, don’t you?” She handed the paper back to Levi so he could file it and grabbed the first group of paper off of Waverly’s stack, flipping through them and finding Waverly’s right at the top. “Mhm, thought so,” she grumbled, seeing every _near_ perfect if not 100% grade. 

Waverly huffed, pulling the stack of papers from her hands and starting to put them in their designated folders in the E filing cabinet. “I _told_ you I will tutor you if you want.” 

“You’ve told _all_ of us that,” most of them said at the same time. 

She threw her arms out. “Because I _will!_ Find me another tutor on this campus that _doesn’t_ charge you for it.” 

“Jeremy doesn’t charge me,” Levi said, puffing out his chest in pride as he crossed his arms.

“He charges everyone else though,” Waverly argued. “You’re his best friend and he feels bad when you fail your classes.”

Levi shrunk back down and let out a huff, “I only failed two classes last term . . .” 

“And _then_ what happened?” Waverly asked with a knowing raise of her brows.

“Jeremy yelled at me and made me a study plan.”

Waverly shoved another paper into a file. _“Exactly._ And I could be making _all_ of you study plans, but _no!_ You want to _almost_ pass your tests and _kinda_ do well on your homework.” 

_That_ surely shut everyone up.

“Mhm, thought so,” she grumbled, sliding the next paper into that person’s file.

**6:19 PM**

_“Take on me!”_ Waverly sang, pointing towards Levi and Mattie. 

Levi cupped his hands around his mouth as they sang, _“Take on me!”_

 _“Take me on!”_ Waverly grabbed a highlighter off the table as they sang her back-up vocals again, bringing it to her mouth as a microphone as she and Levi leaned into one another, and they all chorused the next part together, _“I’ll be gone . . . in a day or two!”_

They all heard the loud _ahem_ come from the door and spun around, going full deer-in-headlights at the glare the dean was shooting them. “What are you doing?” Lucado questioned. 

“Uh . . .” Waverly accidentally dropped the highlighter onto the table out of fear, and Rachel slowly turned the radio down. “We’re taking a little break.” 

Lucado raised her brows at her. “I don’t think you have break _times,_ Miss Earp. And we’re _certainly_ not paying all of you for _sing-a-long time.”_

Waverly pursed her lips. “Well . . . Studies show that smaller, more frequent breaks are better for productivity than one longer break, so I just figured-” 

_“You_ just figured?” She echoed, slowly walking towards her before coming to a halt right in front of her. Waverly’s mouth came open, but no noise came out. Dr. Lucado nodded, moving towards her workstation at the table. “Miss Earp, how much have you gotten done?” 

“I . . .” Waverly cleared her throat as she walked over, getting the shake out of it. “I started today with E’s and just finished off the G’s. Now I’m about to start on H’s.” 

Lucado looked towards her with raised brows, _almost_ in surprise. “How many files would you say all of those were?” 

“Uh, maybe 1,000 altogether?” 

Lucado nodded, clicking her tongue as she dropped the first paper on her stack that she had picked up. Waverly could tell by the look on her face that she was actually _shocked_ with how much she had gotten done in the past three hours, so a bit of her confidence returned. “Alright, well.” She looked up at everyone in the room. “Keep it down in here. Understand?” 

“Yes, Ma’am,” they all mumbled, and the dean turned, heading back out of the filing room. 

Waverly let out a quick breath once Lucado was out of the room, leaning back against the table. “Yea, uh, guys. Remind me to never mess with her, ‘kay?” 

“I thought you were gonna shit yourself or something,” Mattie snorted, bumping her arm. 

Waverly threw her a look as she bumped her back, moving back to her stack. “Funny.” She picked up the next paper with a scowl, only holding it with her thumb and pointer finger as she flicked the folder open and dropped it in it. _“Yuck.”_

“What?” Rachel asked, leaning over and reading the name on the top. _“Ew,_ Chump Hardy.” 

“Tell me about it,” she grumbled. She picked up the next one with a little giggle. “I’m happy with this one, though.” 

“Oo,” Levi grinned, peeking over her shoulder. _“Winnie.”_

Waverly drew her elbow back to nail him in the gut. _“Stop it.”_

“Wait, _who’s_ Winnie?” Rachel questioned with a smirk, grabbing the paper out of her hand before she could stop her. Her brows raised in realization at the name at the top. _“Oh.”_

Waverly snatched it back, feeling her cheeks burning hot. _“Rachel.”_

She put her hands up with a smile. “Hey, I don’t even know who N-” 

_“Don’t,”_ the brunette said through her teeth. 

_“That_ is,” Rachel finished slowly without saying her name. 

“You don’t?” Levi asked. “Really?” 

She shook her head with a shrug. “No, why would I?”

“I mean . . . she’s got some _unique_ qualities,” Levi mumbled quietly, and Waverly rolled her eyes at him. 

“Like what?” Rachel asked with a confused laugh.

“Hm, _well_ . . .” Levi held his hand up above his head. “About _yea_ tall, give or take and, uh . . .” 

Waverly pulled his hand away from his hair with a glare, knowing what he was gonna describe next. _“Oh my God_ , there’s a picture in everyone’s file. Hold on.” 

Rachel moved over to her side as Waverly flicked open Nicole’s file. “She better be cute,” she whispered.

“I have good tastes, thank you,” Waverly huffed, looking up at her with a small grin. The younger girl chuckled, looking back down at the file as Waverly flipped one page and found the one her picture was paper clipped to. “Here we- _go.”_

 _“Oooh,_ I’ve seen-” Rachel looked up at Waverly, furrowing her brow when she saw the look on her face. “What’s wrong, Wave?” 

Waverly quickly shook her head, grabbing the paper and closing the file drawer. She moved towards the other side of the room so she could have some space, flicking her eyes between the picture and the words on the page as her heart pounded in her chest. She rubbed her forehead with a shaky hand after a minute, jumping when she heard a voice behind her.

“Nicole was in the military?” Waverly looked back at Tucker with wide, teary eyes, and he raised his brows high. _“Oh_ . . . she never told you that, did she?” 

Waverly let out a heavy breath, moving away from him and pulling the picture off the paper. She could hear all of them trying to talk to her, but she wasn’t listening to a word they were saying. She shoved the paper back in her file and closed the drawer again, spinning around and flicking her eyes between all of their concerned faces. “C- Can you guys take over? I . . . I gotta go.” 

“Waves, what’s going on?” Poppy questioned. 

She shook her head as the first tear rolled out of her eye, backing up. “Just . . . tell Lucado something came up, ok? I-” She let out a breath, turning quickly and rushing out of the room before any of them could question it any further. 

She wasn’t running but she _definitely_ wasn’t walking as she made her way out of the building. She didn’t understand how she could be so _stupid._ All of the signs had been _right_ in front of her face and she _hadn’t_ put it together.

How her leg and shoulder injuries were “classified.”

How Robin called her Corporal sometimes.

Her reaction to the time Chrissy had dropped that metal cup. 

The fact that _Robin_ had gone through basic training.

Her ability to speak some Irish.

Her flashbacks.

How vague she had been about what had been going on with her with the most recent years of her life.

How Robin had hinted at how she had some more _advanced_ fighting training. 

And _so_ many other things, too. 

Waverly couldn’t figure out if her brain had just denied her from thinking into it or if she was really _that_ oblivious, but right now she was completely overwhelmed and needed to get it out of her system.

And she knew that there was only _one_ person that she could talk to about it. 

“Please, Rosie Roo?” 

_“Absolutely_ not!” 

Robin stood up off the grass, towering over her with puppy dog eyes and a pouted lip. “Why _not?”_ He whined.

“Because! _We’ll_ get kicked out of Harvest Fest and _you’ll_ get kicked out of school.”

“It’s jus’ a couple secret brownies! Ain’t no one gotta know ‘bout dem but t’e people who _know_ ‘bout dem.”

“Dude, that’s _so_ cryptic and-”

Robin looked up and leaned out of the booth, trying to locate the sound of sobbing approaching them. “I tink ya should go ahead ‘n take yer trip ta t’e store.” 

“Why?” Rosita asked, leaning out of the booth to see Waverly heading in their direction with tears streaming down her face. “Yeah, I’m definitely _not_ the person to handle that. Good luck, Bud.”

Robin groaned, hopping over the counter of the booth and rushing towards Waverly. “What’s a matta, Babycakes?” He asked right as she threw herself into his arms and sobbed into his shirt. His eyes widened and he took a moment before wrapping his arms around her top half, letting one hand press against the back of her head. “Alrigh’y den, let it all out.”

“Bub,” she choked out with a bunch of other words he couldn’t catch. “And the picture- But I didn’t know!” 

Robin furrowed his brows in utter confusion, shaking his head. _“Okie dokie,_ let’s go take a wee sit in me booth, aye?” He pat her back as he led her over to The Muffin Man booth. “‘N yer gonna talk nice ‘n slow so I can figure out what’s got yer knickers in a twist.”

 _“Ew,”_ she said through a sob, taking a seat in a foldable chair that was on the inside. 

“What do we have here?” He asked gently as he sat in the one next to her, trying to take the picture he had noticed was in her hand. “Oh goodie, it’s nice ‘n wet. Ya been cryin’ on it, Love?” He looked down at it once he had pulled it from her grasp and sucked in a deep breath, rubbing his forehead as he leaned his elbow on his knee. _“Oh_ . . . Well, dis ain’t good.”

Robin had _immediately_ recognized the picture as the one Nicole had gotten taken the day she had graduated basic training. She was all snazzy looking and blank-faced in her dress uniform. He looked back up at Waverly, sliding his hand on his forehead down his face. “Where . . . Where’d ya get dis?” 

“In her school file,” she mumbled with a sniffle. 

Robin sighed, looking back down at the picture for a few more seconds before handing it back to her. “I guess ya were gonna have ta find out eventually. Jus’ don’t tink dis is da way she wanted it ta happen.”

Waverly shook her head, wiping her face from tears. “I feel so _bad.”_

“What d’ya feel bad fer?” 

“‘Cause I shouldn’t have found out like this!- B- But it’s her fault for not telling me already!- I mean, of _all_ people, shouldn’t you be telling your _girlfriend_ this kind of stuff?!” 

“She didn’t wanna _scare_ ya, Waves. And she doesn’t like ta talk ‘bout any of it either . . . I’m pretty sure ya’ve picked up on dat from-” 

Waverly let out a loud gasp when her mind finished the sentence for him and she remembered everything about her injuries. “Oh my _God,_ Robin, she was in _combat?!”_

He widened his eyes at her but pursed his lips after a few seconds, dipping his head. “. . . Look. It took ‘er over a _month_ ta tell me ‘bout what happened ta ‘er even t’ough I was _dere_ when her family got told ‘bout it. She doesn’t open up ‘bout none of dis to no one unless she has ta.”

“I’m her fucking _girlfriend!_ I have a right to know what’s going on with her so I can _help.”_

“Ain’t _nobody_ have t’e right ta know ‘bout Nic’s life ‘n body but Nic, ya hear me?” Robin snapped but quickly paused, taking a deep breath to try and keep himself from getting worked up. “It ain’t yer _right,_ Babycakes. Yer bloody lucky she showed ya her knee when she did. If she had it her way, ya might’ve never found out ‘bout _any_ o’ dis.”

“But that’s not fair-”

 _“Life_ ain’t fair! ‘Specially not Nic’s. T’e only good ting dat ever happened to ‘er was _you,_ Waverly.” Her eyes softened and she lowered her head, looking down at the picture again. He reached out and tipped her chin towards him, dropping his hand to her knee with a squeeze. “Ya’ve gotta _promise_ me dat yer gonna let her go at ‘er own speed . . . If ya try ‘n push ‘er, ya might as well say yer goodbyes now ‘cause, _trust me,_ Love, she’ll be gone.”

Waverly’s lip wobbled and she dropped her head to her hands as the tears returned. “. . . This is too much,” she mumbled with a shake of her head. 

“Aw,” Robin said softly, pushing out of the chair and grabbing her wrists, pulling her out of her chair and wrapping her in another hug. “Everything’ll be alrigh’. I promise ya. She ain’t _no_ different den she was t’e last time ya seen ‘er.” 

“I just . . .” Waverly shook her head, burying it into his chest. “I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t like when I don’t know what’s going on.” 

He sighed, squeezing her tighter and pulling his finger through her hair. “It’ll all work out.”

“But-” 

_“Aye,_ what’re we huggin’ fer?” 

They both looked towards Nicole as she approached the booth, and the redhead’s eyes fell to Waverly’s tear-stained face before snapping up to Robin with a tip of her head. “Nic,” Robin mumbled. “I ain’t do nothin’ ta yer baby, I promise.” 

“Den why t’e feck she-” Nicole looked towards Waverly, walking closer to them and speaking softly, “Darlin’, what’re ya cryin’ fer? Ain’t ya supposed ta be at work?”

Waverly looked up at Robin with fear in her eyes and he brushed her tears away with the sleeve of his cardigan. “Yer jus’ gonna have ta rip t’e bandaid off,” he mumbled. 

She slowly nodded with a shaky exhale, pulling away from his arms and patting his chest. “Thank you.” 

He nodded with a soft smile. “Anytime, Babycakes.”

Waverly walked out the back of the booth and around to Nicole, looking up at her as she did some grabby hands and pulled her closer, looking her over with worry. The brunette cleared her throat and looked down at the picture in her hand, slowly flipping it around so she could see it.

Nicole flicked her eyes down and her hands immediately slid back to her sides as she realized what it was she was looking at and what it meant. She took a step back from the brunette and ran her hand down her face, letting out an airy breath, _“Oh, bloody ‘ell.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...oops?  
> Welp, there it is.  
> Some of you were right! Nicole WAS in the military! I can't wait for my next chapter so we can hear all about it. And OH BOY, hold onto your asses, y'all.  
> Gimme all them thoughts in the comments below!  
> (Also, how'd ya like Rachel, hehe. Thought we could throw her into this mess, too)  
> Anyway that's all I've got  
> Off to go...work on Looking to Belong since, ya know, me and Solace finally posted a new chapter of that after 4 fucking months WHOOPS
> 
> CHRISSY COUNT: 18


	24. Dat Seems A Wee Bit Sacrilegious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone almost gets beat up and the introduction of Big Alfred!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, so sorry it's been a while. School's a thing both of us are dealing with and I'm also working a lot and trying to read all of the Harry Potter Books (I'm on the 5th book rn, pray for my heart)
> 
> So there's a wee bit of homophobia that happens just so everyone's aware  
> And there's a thing that happens at the end that makes my heart happy :) good luck

**Wednesday, November 3rd, 1993 1:43 PM**

“I’d  _ kill _ someone for kettle corn,” Levi moaned, shoving a handful of kettle corn into his mouth.

“You say that about most foods.”

Levi looked at Fish with his best, ‘how dare you call me out like that’ face. “That’s why I also say that about you, Lovebug.”

“Don’t fucking call me that.”

Levi chuckled through another mouthful. “I like that you didn’t have a problem with me calling you food, but  _ Lovebug _ is just too far.”

Jeremy shook his head, plunging his hand into Levi’s long bag of kettle corn and shoving the handful of it into his mouth. “You’re gross.”

“Who?” they both asked. 

“Both of you.”

“Says you, while you stare at Mr. Tall-and-Foreign over there,” Fish teased, nudging Jeremy with his elbow. “Like, Jer, you’re practically  _ salivating _ at the sight of him.”

Jeremy scoffed, “I am  _ not.” _ He forced himself to pull his eyes away from Robin while he worked in The Muffin Man booth with Rosita, and sat at one of the several picnic tables set up in the middle of all the food booths of the Harvest Fest. He purposefully sat with his back to Robin to increase his likelihood of paying attention to anything that Fish and Levi said. 

“So,” Levi started, his mouth filled with kettle corn again as he sat down in front of him and Fish sat at his side. “Tell us more about Christopher Robert over there.”

“You’ve physically met and hung out with him two dozen times with me and you’re also in band with him,” Jeremy snorted.

Fish shrugged. “C’mon, Jer! You  _ never _ talk about him to us. Sure we hang out with him, but I wanna know what goes on when you’re… I don’t know, in his bed.” 

“I talk about him plenty!”

Levi raised an eyebrow. “When was the last time you hung out with us when he wasn’t with you?”

Jeremy pursed his lips. “A little at the Halloween party.”

“What’d we talk about?”

He shrugged. “You getting a bunch of acid tabs and wanting to have sex while you tripped?”

Levi smirked a little. “And, we did that, too. Fishy’s never came so-”

“Next time you trip, I’m topping," Fish grumbled, his face burning red.

“Tonight?” Levi asked hopefully.

“If you behave the rest of the day,” Fish said, grinning as he turned back to the fake disgusted look on Jeremy’s face. “Anyway, when was the last time we hung out before that?”

“Uh…” 

He tsked at him. “It was when you were tutoring me for Physics before midterms over two weeks ago! And you know what we talked about?  _ Physics!” _

“Not my fault I want you to pass your classes!”

“Which I did,  _ thank you.” _

Jeremy smiled. “I told you that you would.”

“You’re avoiding the tall, Irish, and handsome topic!” Levi groaned. “Who’s also looking at you right now.”

Jeremy turned a little to see Robin staring at the picnic tables from his spot in The Muffin Man booth. His mouth broke into a smile when he saw Jeremy look at him and he waved. Fish and Levi both waved back, making Robin laugh, and Jeremy shot him a smile before turning back around. 

“I don’t even know what you want me to tell you,” he sighed.

“Just the more…” Fish thought for a moment and smirked.  _ “Intimate _ details.”

“Like how big his dick is,” Levi added, getting all the kettle corn in Jeremy’s hand thrown at his face in return. “Don’t waste my kettle corn, you monster!” 

Jeremy shook his head but a smile still tugged at his lips. “Almost Fish level.”

“No!” Levi gasped, observing the pink tinge on Jeremy’s cheeks. “You lucky bastard.”

“I know,” he sighed, glancing back to Robin as he helped someone who’d come up to the booth. 

“I hate that you both use me as a dick measurement,” Fish huffed, eating his kettle corn aggressively.

Levi rubbed his back. “Yeah, but it’s the far above average dick measurement. And it’s not Jer’s fault he’s walked in on us more times than any of us would like.”

“So… Does that mean you’ve-” 

“Nope,” Jeremy said quickly, looking away from both of them and observing the people at the tables around them. “We’re not even really… together yet.”

Fish and Levi looked at each other nervously and nodded a little. “So you wanna wait until you’re together before you let him shove his monster dick up your-”

_ “Levi,” _ both Fish and Jeremy grumbled. 

“I’m just clarifying!” he said defensively, putting his hands up a little. Jeremy rolled his eyes at him, and Levi smirked a little. “So what  _ have _ you done then? If you think we haven’t noticed the massive hickey collection both of you seem to consistently have, you’d be wrong.” 

Jeremy pulled the collar of Robin’s hoodie up a little to try and cover his neck. “We’ve just… ya know.”

"Spent the night together?"

He shrugged. "Just... every night since Thursday after the whole Champ and Nic having it out in the middle of the street thing… and a couple times before that."

“What about handjobs?”

“I mean… yeah.”

“Blowjob?” 

"As of Monday, yes," Jeremy said, his face getting red again.

Fish and Levi grinned at each other. "69?" 

Jeremy's eyes widened a little. "Uh… no, I've never done that with anyone before."

"You're missing out!" Levi groaned, making Fish smile. "Ask him about it. You'll have the time of your life. Especially with him." This an elbow in the stomach from Fish. 

"So you've showed him-" Fish broke off at the look on Jeremy's face. "So you've talked to him about it?"

"We don't really talk about it, but I figure at this point he's kinda figured it out," Jeremy explained. "He knows I was hurt in the car accident, he's… felt things at this point, but we’ve always had the lights off, and I’ve never taken my shirt off in front of him.” 

“Has he asked about it?”

“I mean, yeah. But he’s been really cool about it so far. Not like Bailey was.”

Levi sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t think a single thing about Robert is  _ anything _ like Bailey ever was.” 

“He’s right,” Fish agreed. “I really don’t think he’d care.”

“I care, though,” Jeremy snapped. “It’s ugly.”

“Jer,” Fish huffed. “Don’t say that.”

Jeremy looked down at the table, sticking in fingers in the cracks of the wood. “I don’t want him to know how bad it all is. Even if he’s felt a little of it, he doesn’t know.”

“When the cold hits and you’re on your crutches, he’s gonna figure it out for himself,” Levi said, popping a couple pieces of popcorn in his mouth. “Or if you get a little… too rough and you can’t fucking  _ walk _ the next morning.”

Fish glared at Levi. “Way to be sensitive, Babe.” 

“What?” Levi groaned. “It’s the truth! If you see an actual relationship with him, he’s  _ gotta _ know, Jeremy.”

“He’s gonna know!” Jeremy said defensively. “Just not yet. I’m not there yet.”

“I just don’t want you to push it off for too long," Fish said cautiously. "Because he might get upset about you hiding something from him for so long if you do.”

Jeremy chewed his lip. “I’m gonna tell him.”

“When?”

He shrugged, taking a little kettle corn. “Sometime after we’re like, actually together because then he’s stuck with me.”

Levi grinned. “We’ve taught you well.” 

“Jerbear!” Rosita called, rushing over to them. “I need to head back to the store to get more stuff for the hot chocolate because we’re already out.”

“Alright?” Jeremy said, glancing over to The Muffin Man booth that Robin was watching them from. 

“Can you pretty please go sit with him until I get back?” she said in her sweetest, most desperate voice. “He’s really bad at working the cash register and yells at it in front of customers.”

Fish and Levi both chuckled at this and Fish stood from the table while Levi tied up the top of his kettle corn. “Don’t let us keep you from supervising your boy,” Fish chuckled, patting Jeremy’s back. 

“We’re gonna go help in the band tent until I play tonight.”

Rosita smiled brightly at Jeremy. “Great! It’s 2 now, I’ll be back by 3, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” 

“That doesn’t really rule anything out.”

She nodded and thought for another moment. “Don’t do anything pre-Robin Baby Jeremy wouldn’t do.”

“Better.” He waved goodbye to Fish and Levi and headed towards The Muffin Man booth. Robin’s face lit up with excitement when he realized Jeremy was alone. He entered through the back of the tent and took the folding chair next to him. “Hi, Babu.” 

“Hiya, Shorty,” Robin said, messing with something on the cash register and cussing when it popped open with a loud chime. “I hate dis bloody ting.”

Jeremy pressed one of the buttons and pushed the drawer back in. Robin reached up to hit another button but Jeremy slapped his hand away. “Don’t do that.”

“Bloody ting don’t like me.”

“Stop slapping it and maybe it’d be nicer to you.”

Robin frowned and pat the top of the cash register. “I’m sorry fer yellin’ at ya and hittin’ ya so much, Mr. Money.” 

Jeremy smiled softly and looked around at the big coffee and hot chocolate dispensers and the display cases of brownies, doughnuts, and every flavor of muffin imaginable. “You two did a really great job in here.”

“T’anks,” Robin said proudly, glancing up at the pop up canopy covering the three tables filled with food and the banners and decorations he’d made to cover the three walls hanging down from the sides and back of the canopy. “Rosie put up t’e tent ting even t’ough I told her I’d do it, so I got stuck makin’ all t’e decorations.” 

“It looks good,” Jeremy assured. “Did Waverly do the menu? It looks really nice.” 

Robin shot him an unamused look and then glanced at the handwritten menu on the back wall of the booth. “Are ya sayin’ dat I couldn’t ‘ave done it? Me handwritin’ ain’t dat bad is it?”

Jeremy held back a laugh and shook his head. “It could be worse.”

He shook his head, stretching out his legs and kicking the Muffin Man banner hanging down off the table they were sitting at. “Only good ting ‘bout dat bein’ dere-” Robin kicked the sign again. “-is dat no one can see ya if ya get down dere ta-”

“I’m  _ not _ giving you a blowjob under the table in the middle of Harvest Fest,” Jeremy grumbled.

Robin stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. “Ya’re no fun.”

“I’m plenty fun when you get me alone,” he muttered, his cheeks turning red from his own boldness.

“Damn right,” Robin agreed as two people approached the tent. “Hiya, Lads. Can I get ya someting?” 

Jeremy watched as Robin helped a few different people, monitoring him while he tried to work Mr. Money to the best of his ability. 

“It’s a shame they don’t have you at the front of the bakery more often,” Jeremy sighed when the last people walked away. 

“Why’s dat?” 

“You’re good with people, Babu. You make people happy.”

Robin’s ears got a little red and he looked back at the cash register that was still fighting him. “I tink ya jus’ like watchin’ me work.”

“I mean, that’s definitely part of it.” 

“Did ya have a good time with Fish and Levi today?” 

Jeremy shut the register drawer again and nodded. “Levi went bobbing for apples and shook his wet hair on me like a dog. Fish got second place in a square dancing competition and won $20 they used to buy kettle corn and play more games.”

“Sounds like a grand ol’ time,” Robin chuckled. “Dey’re a whole lotta fun.” He opened his mouth to say something else but he obviously decided against it and instead he started reorganizing one of the brownie displays. 

“Babu,” Jeremy said softly, resting his hand on Robin’s thigh. “What’s the matter?”

Robin shrugged and smiled. “Nothin’, Shorty. Rosie gets mad when dere’s holes in t’e displays.” 

“You were gonna say something,” he pressed on. “About Fish and Levi.”

There was a lapse of silence for half a minute while Robin absently moved around another display. “Do dey like me?” he asked finally.

“Fish and Levi? Robin, of course they like you! Why would you ask that?”

Robin glanced at Jeremy and then back to his display. “I don’t know. Dey’re yer best mates. Dey know ya better dan anyone ‘n if dey don’t like me-”

“But they do like you, so you don’t have anything to worry about,” Jeremy assured, squeezing Robin’s leg again.

Robin let out a happy sigh. “So does dat mean dat you talk ‘bout me to dem?”

“I mean… yeah,” Jeremy muttered nervously.

“Whatcha tell ‘em ‘bout?”

Jeremy shrugged. “I don’t know.” He decided it was best not to ask Robin about 69ing while they sat in the middle of Harvest Fest with hundreds of people walking around them. “Just what we do together and stuff.”

_ “‘N stuff, _ aye?” he questioned, his eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. “What kinda stuff?'

“You know… just stuff,” Jeremy muttered, adamantly looking away from Robin and at the crowds. “Like- holy shit!  _ Jesus fucking Jesus!” _ He looked around the booth for a moment before slipping under the table they were sitting at and pulling his knees to his chest.

Robin looked down at him, mildly confused but mainly amused. “Dat seems a wee bit sacrilegious, Shorty.” 

Jeremy shook his head, pressing a finger to his lips to try and keep Robin from talking to him. Then, the back of the booth burst open and Fish and Levi came barreling inside, joining Jeremy under the table, both panting heavily. 

“Did you see them?” Levi whispered through ragged breaths.

_ “No, _ I’m just hiding under the table for fun,” Jeremy scoffed, punching Levi in the arm. 

“You could be under the table for other reasons,” Fish added, glancing at Robin who was still looking at them with raised eyebrows. “But Robin’s dick isn’t out so I figured that it was the whole hiding thing and not a kinky public blowjob situation.”

Robin smiled widely. “Dat’s what I said!”

Fish and Levi both shushed Robin loudly and Jeremy shook his head. “Be quiet, Babu. They can’t know we’re here.”

“I don’t even know who t’e feck yer on ‘bout,” Robin grumbled, scanning the surrounding area. His attention turned to two guys that approached the booth, their eyes flickering around at its contents before landing on Robin. He smiled at them. “Anyting I can help ya find?”

Before they'd said anything, Robin glanced down at the way Levi had his arm around Fish in a protective sort of way. Jeremy was tugging at his hair and gripping one of Levi's wrists, trying not to move. Robin looked back up at the two guys and frowned when he caught that one was trying to conceal a pair of brass knuckles and the other had several bruises and cuts on his face and knuckles. 

“Where’d they go?” asked the one with bruised hands.

“Who?” Robin asked, though he’d already figured that much out for himself.

“The two guys that ran this way. One’s got long hair and is weird looking and the others skinny and looks like Pinocchio.” 

Robin snorted a laugh. “Ya like Disney movies, mate?” 

The guy with the brass knuckles laid his hands on the table and glared at Robin. “We saw them run in here where the short, Indian kid was a couple minutes ago. Tell us where they went.”

Robin crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, creating distance between him and the guy. “Really not sure who yer talkin’ ‘bout. Sorry, mate.”

The guy leaned over the table and grabbed Robin by the collar of his sweater. “I know Fag-tri and the other two are around here somewhere. Just tell us where they are, dickwad.” 

“Dat t’e best ya got?” Robin spat, standing and grabbing the guy’s arm and twisting it until he had no choice but to let go of his shirt. “Dickwad lacks a wee bit o’ creativity in me personal opinion.” He grabbed a chunk of the guy’s hair, ready to slam his head on the table, but someone much bigger than any of them grabbed the guy by the scruff of the neck and shook Robin off of him. 

“I’m pretty sure you two've been kicked out of here  _ three times _ already,” Xavier grumbled, shoving the guy with brass knuckles to the ground and raising an eyebrow at the other one. “Lucky for you, the police are waiting outside this time. Now, you wanna come peacefully? Or do you want campus security to take you out of here in handcuffs?”

“Don’t fucking touch me!” the one still standing said, backing away from him. 

Xavier sighed, putting a hand up and signaling for four campus security guards to come get them. “You two had a good chance at life, you know that? I thought we got this shit stomped out of you a long time ago.”

After earning a few more choice words and some inappropriate hand gestures from the two, they were led away from the booth in handcuffs. 

Robin shook his head, slouching back in his chair and cracking his knuckles. “I was about ta beat t’e shite outta dem.” 

“Yeah, I could see that,” Xavier said, patting Robin’s shoulder. “But it was for good reason. Those two have caused nothing but trouble for most of their lives.”

“What, mam and pop didn’t love ‘em enough?”

Xavier shrugged. “They both had good parents, which is part of what makes it all so unfortunate. One too many juvie sentences and the boy’s home got called because the parents didn’t know what to do with them anymore.”

“Dey were in t’e-” Robin glanced down at Jeremy. He had himself tucked into a tight ball and was staring at the ground while Fish and Levi were whispering something to him that Robin couldn’t hear over the blood pounding in his ears. “Ran with Bailey, I’m guessin’.”

Xavier sighed and nodded. “God I fucking hate it when they call him that. Makes it worse that- well, I probably shouldn’t say anything. Where did they run off to anyway? Jeremy, Fish, and Levi?” 

Robin pointed under the table and Fish and Levi looked up at him for the first time. Fish crawled out and looked at Xavier. “Thanks for taking care of that.”

“You really thought I was gonna let them get after you just ‘cause you left the home?” he asked, giving Fish his kindest smile. “The Warden scares me more than they do, and you know that if I let them get any of you, she’d have my ass.”

Levi climbed out from under the table too and nodded at Xavier. “Dolls.”

“Levi.”

“You know, we didn’t need your help-”

“Shut up, Levi,” Jeremy grumbled, crawling up from under the table as last and sitting back in his chair. “We were cowering under the table, and Robin was about to break someone’s skull.” 

Levi shrugged, doing everything in his power to keep from making eye contact with Xavier. “To each his own.”

There were several uncomfortable seconds of silence before Xavier gave them a small wave. “I’m going to go keep people from getting into fist fights and spiking their apple cider with vodka."

Fish rubbed one of Jeremy’s tense shoulders. “They’re not gonna bother us anymore.” 

Jeremy nodded, shrugging him off. “I know that," he mumbled. "You two should get back to what you were doing before.”

Levi turned to Fish, suddenly excited. “Snow cones?”

“I can’t get a thought out of you that isn’t about food or sex,” Fish grumbled. He turned towards Robin just enough that Jeremy and Levi couldn't see him mouth, “Take care of Jer”. Robin gave him a little nod and Fish drug Levi out of the booth and towards the snow cone machine across the path. 

Jeremy kept his gaze locked on the table while he fidgeted with his bracelets. “I’m sorry about that,” he said in a voice hardly above a whisper.

Robin took one of Jeremy’s hands under the table and tried to catch his eye with no success. “It ain’t yer fault, Shorty. Ya ain’t got nothin’ ta be sorry fer. No one should treat ya like that either. Ya don’t deserve it.”

Jeremy squeezed his eyes closed and dropped his head. “Bailey was the first one that called me that.”

“What- oh…” he gasped.

“And I know it’s just a dumb nickname that’s not even clever but it… I mean, he’s gay, too! How could he be okay calling someone else a name that he got called all growing up?”

Robin frowned deeply. “He was projectin’ onto ya. Makin’ ya feel t’e pain dat he was dealin’ with on t'e inside.”

Jeremy didn’t answer and Robin didn’t push him. They sat in silence, holding hands, and only breaking apart whenever Robin had to help a customer. Just before 3, Rosita came dragging in a cart full of supplies for the drinks. 

“Why’s everything sad?” she asked as she started to set up a new round of hot chocolate.

The boys looked at each other for a second before Jeremy stood to help her start setting up. Robin watched him carefully, afraid he might be on the verge of a panic attack. He listened to Jeremy explain what had happened, intentionally leaving out the details about his old nickname and Robin almost knocking one of the guys out. 

“At least Dolls is still taking care of you,” she said, rubbing his back.

“Robbie Robbie Bo Bobbie!” 

“No,” Robin sighed and turned away from Rosita and Jeremy to face Kennedy instead. “Absolutely do not call me dat.”

Kennedy just grinned at him and leaned against the table. “I wanted to see if you maybe wanted to go get a drink with me tonight. We could head over to my place after and-”

“Ken, we need ta talk,” Robin said softly before he could continue. He moved his chair closer to the table so he could talk without being overheard. “Ya ain’t gonna like what it is we gotta talk 'bout.”

“You don’t wanna see me anymore?” Kennedy forced a small laugh as he said it, though Robin could see that he didn't find it funny at all. “I figured that was coming. I mean, first thing you told me was that you don’t do relationships, right? You don’t do consistent.”

Robin chewed his lip for a second, debating whether or not to drag it out further than that. “Dat’s not why…” 

“But it’s still true? You don’t wanna hook up anymore?”

He nodded a little and Kennedy’s face fell. He’s obviously been hoping for a different answer. “I told ya dat ya weren’t gonna like it ‘n I can leave it dere if ya want me ta, but dere is a reason if ya wanna hear it.”

Kennedy pursed his lips a little, contemplating if he really wanted to know but eventually, he nodded. “I think I wanna know… for closure, obviously,” he answered with a small smile.

“Ya’re right when ya say dat I didn’t do relationships or consistent. ‘Cause I didn’t. I’ve never been one fer relationships. Dey don’t work fer me, never have. But I guess, ya know, tings happen.”

“You found someone didn’t you?” Kennedy asked. "Like a real someone?"

Robin looked down at the table, trying not to smile too much out of respect for Kennedy's feelings. “It wasn’t ever supposed ta happen? It wasn’t ever like it was with us, which was great, just so ya know."

"Thank you very much."

He shook his head a little, suppressing a laugh. "But him 'n me weren’t ever supposed ta hook up or nothin’, ‘n well, we haven’t yet. We're takin' it slow, which I ain't used to o' course, but it feels like it's worth it with him."

He glanced back up at Kennedy, expecting to see him disappointed or angry, but he wasn't. To his surprise, Kennedy was smiling at him. "Talking about him makes your ears red," he observed.

Robin sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's all jus' weird fer me, I guess. Talkin' 'bout someone like dis. I've just... I’ve never-”

“Felt like this with anyone else?” Kennedy filled in, his smile widening.

“As dumb as dat shit sounds, it’s kinda true. He’s making me better, Ken.”

Kennedy's eyes flickered over Robin's face. “Do you think he’s the one?”

Robin looked towards Jeremy without much thought and watched him while he continued to help Rosita make hot chocolate. He turned back to Kennedy, seeing that he’d followed his line of sight and sighed, “I really hope so.”

Kennedy’s jaw dropped a little and his eyes stayed trained on Jeremy. “Holy shit,” he gasped. “It’s Jeremy?”

Jeremy turned at the sound of his name. “What’s me?”

“Nothin’, Shorty,” Robin said, shooting him a smile before turning back to Kennedy. 

“I thought you two were just hooking up! With the hickeys and the- I didn’t think you were like- oh, you were going on dates and I was- oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Kennedy covered his face with his hands, shaking his head while he did so. “That must have been so awkward for you!”

Robin snorted a laugh. “Yer good, mate. It’s me fault fer not tellin’ ya sooner.”

“It’s been like a month since you first started coming into the diner together.” 

“Give or take.” 

Kennedy let out a huff and shook his head. “You just let me make a fool of myself around your boyfriend for a month. That’s so rude.”

"Well, he ain't really me boyfriend yet…” he mumbled, glancing back to Jeremy again. “I wanna ask him soon, but I’ve been tryin’ ta tink of a way ta surprise him when I ask.”

“Now!” Kennedy said, clapping his hands together.

Robin flinched a little at the sudden burst of excitement. “Now what?”

“Ask him today during Harvest Fest.” 

“But I’ve gotta watch t’e booth and I’ve got ta preform with t’e band in-” he leaned back, grabbing Jeremy’s arm, and looking at his watch. “-two hours.”

When Jeremy had pulled his attention back to what he was doing with Rosita, Kennedy shrugged. “Give me thirty minutes and allow some time for making out.” At the look Robin gave him, he added, “With your maybe-kinda boyfriend, obviously.”

“Are ya tellin’ me dat ya’ve already got a plan?” Robin asked, his eyebrows raised in suspicion.

“Gays always have a plan. Now, find a way to get out of here and meet me down by the craft booths,” he said, grinning once again before leaving.

Robin sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Dis is gonna be weird..." he grumbled, but still started thinking of an excuse for why he needed to leave. 

He moved to stand behind Rosita and Jeremy and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. “I need ta go do someting fer Nic,” he lied. “It’ll be faster if I go by meself, t’ough,” he added when Jeremy looked like he was preparing to go with him.

"Will you bring me back a funnel cake?" Rosita asked him. 

"Nope," he mumbled, kissing both of their cheeks before slipping out of the back of the tent and heading towards the crafts like Kennedy had said. He found Kennedy leaning against a pole of one of the booths, adjusting a pin on the front of his jacket. Robin shoved his hands deep in his pockets as he approached him. “Wanna tell me exactly what yer plan is?”

“Where’d you and Jeremy meet?” Kennedy looked around at the different craft booths filled with homemade soaps and candles and hand painted glass and clay cups and bowls. 

Despite his annoyance that Kennedy hadn't answered his question, Robin smiled a little at the memory. “He walked into t’e alley by T’e Muffin Man while I was smokin’. Now he comes and sees me everyday durin’ me smoke break.”

“That’s a fun story to tell your grandkids,” Kennedy snorted. “He’s kind of nerdy, right?” 

“Yeah ‘n he gets really particular about makin’ sure ya know he’s a nerd ‘n not a geek or a dork or nothin’ like dat.”

Kennedy chuckled, “That’s a very geek thing to do, but I respect it.” He pushed his horn rimmed glasses up his nose and started walking towards an open front booth filled with flowers made of all kinds of weird non-flowerlike materials like aluminum foil, fabric, and thick decorative paper. “Does he read a lot of books?”

“Comic books ‘n textbooks mainly. But he does talk ‘bout books he’s read a lot,” Robin explained looking at some fabric flowers made with the colors of the Irish flag. 

“Then I think these’ll suit him well,” he said, holding out a bouquet of fake flowers made of the pages of books. “Destroying books is a no no in nerd culture, but I think he’ll appreciate the thought nonetheless.” 

Robin frowned. “It wasn’t my t’ought t’ough. You came up with it.”

“He doesn’t need to know that.” 

“Can I help you two find anything?” asked a girl that Robin recognized from his photography class. 

Robin pursed his lips and looked around the displays of flowers for a moment more. All the way in the back of the display was a small bouquet made of the cover and pages of what looked like a graphic novel. He pulled it out and observed some of the illustrations and smiled when he saw Batman and Robin staring back at him.

“I’ll get dis one, I tink.” 

The girl frowned at him. “I had that one hidden in the back because I was hoping to keep it. It’s the only one left.” 

He just grinned back at her. “What can I say? It was calling me name.” 

Kennedy snorted over his shoulder. “Alright, Batman.”

After they checked out, Kennedy started off down the path, even further away from The Muffin Man booth. Robin groaned, shoving his wallet back in his pocket and jogging to catch up to him. “Where we goin’ now?” 

“What’s Jeremy’s favorite animal?” 

Robin thought for a moment and shrugged. “I don’t know. He talks ‘bout someting called a Wookiee a lot which I tink is some big fuzzy ting in Australia.” 

Kennedy faked a wince before bursting into laughter. “I’m assuming he hasn’t gotten you to watch Star Wars yet?”

“Nah, we have a movie date planned for t’e last day o’ break.” 

“A Wookiee is a fluffy alien thing in Star Wars. Chewbacca’s a Wookiee.”

Robin thought for a moment about what a Chewbacca was. “Is dat t’e Big Foot with t’e gun?”

Kennedy nodded as they approached a bunch of games that Robin had yet to look at. “Anything besides a Wookie? Something normal like a dolphin or a frog?”

“Alfred,” Robin said quickly. “He loves Alfred. He’s a South American Horned Frog.”

“Ah,” he mumbled, looking around. “Looks like you’ve got two options. Bobbing for apples to get a small frog-” he pointed at a booth with three large buckets where people were bobbing for apples and rows of small frog and monkey stuffed animals were hanging from the walls. “-or shoot the ducks for one bigger than Jeremy’s entire existence.”

Robin looked around for what ducks Kennedy was talking about and found a booth with a sign that said ‘Shoot The Ducks’ in big letters. Inside the booth were three seats, each sat behind a fancy looking gun that was meant to spray water at the cardboard ducks with bullseyes on them that were speeding across two conveyor belts going in different directions.

On the walls of the booth were several different stuffed animals in several different sizes with a sign that said:

PRIZES

1 - 5 Ducks : Toy (Spinning Top, Bouncy Ball)

6 - 10 Ducks : Small Prize (Unicorn, Dog, Cat)

10-19 Ducks : Medium Prize (Gorilla, Duck)

All 20 Ducks : Large Prize (Frog)

Amongst the small prizes and medium stuffed animals covering the walls were two massive green frogs that were the same size if not bigger than Jeremy’s entire body if you counted it’s ridiculously long legs. 

“Think you're a good shot?” Kennedy asked, seeing that Robin was eyeing the ducks.

“Guess we’ll find out,” he said, handing the flowers to Kennedy and taking one of the seats. The guy inside the booth taking money gave him a weird look, seeing as Robin was far too big for anything there but the smile on his face made it clear that he didn’t care. “How many o’ t’e frogs have ya given out today?”

The man raised an eyebrow and looked at the frogs on the wall. “Everyone who’s asked me that so has ended up with a unicorn.” 

“Ya didn’t answer t’e question, mate.”

“None. Only given out a couple of the medium sized prizes now that you mention it.” 

Robin messed with the gun for a second and watched the ducks flip up and down as they moved to make them harder to shoot. “I got dis, mate.” 

“That’ll be fifty cents,  _ mate.” _ Robin paid the man and Kennedy popped down into the seat next to him, watching him as he concentrated on the patterns of the ducks. “Whenever you’re ready, you’ve got 45 seconds.” 

“Sign says ya get a minute,” Robin grumbled. 

“That’s for kids, which you are  _ obviously  _ not.” 

“Kid at heart,” he muttered, but he’d already started shooting down the ducks. Every shot he took, he heard a small ding as another duck went down. He was counting in his head as every duck chimed. By the seventeenth duck he was sure that he still had at least twenty seconds left.

The man gasped as the final duck went down and a louder alarm sounded saying that he’d won chimed from behind the ducks. 

Robin stood up and smiled at Kennedy. “Dat was easy.” 

The man shook his head and moved to the wall where the frogs were hanging and climbed up onto a stool. He took the frog down, the shear weight of it almost knocking him off the stool, and handed it to Robin with a stale, “Congratulations.” 

“What now?” he asked as him and Kennedy made their way back up towards The Muffin Man booth. 

“Now, I take this stuff and you get Jeremy to your romance alley,” he said, collecting the frog and the flowers.

Robin raised an eyebrow. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll be inside the bakery waiting for you. That means don’t take too long because people are staring at me now and we’re still in a reasonable area for having a giant stuffed frog.”

“Ken?” Robin asked as they continued their trek through the Harvest Fest. 

“Hm?” 

“Are ya sure yer alrigh’? I mean, ya’ve been after me fer months, ‘n I feel like I kinda jus’ dropped some big news on ya. Now yer all fer helping me ask another bloke out.” 

Kennedy shrugged under the frog wrapped around his shoulders. “I don’t know. I thought I’d take it harder too, but I guess when I put it all together and I remembered all the times I’ve seen you two together and how happy you are, it made it all a little better.”

“Why’s dat?” 

“Because it means that you’re happy and you being happy makes me happy,” he explained, looking up at him with a soft smile on his lips that quickly shifted to something more mischievous as it often did. “Though, I have to say, I will miss getting absolutely railed by you.” 

Robin shook his head. “It was almos’ sweet, ya know dat?”

“Me? Sweet?  _ Never!”  _ Kennedy chuckled, nodding towards The Muffin Man booth that they were approaching. “I’m gonna take off. Meet you there.”

He nodded and they parted ways. He walked right up to the front of the booth. “Hiya.”

Rosita squinted at him. “What’s up with you?”

“Why do ya tink dere’s someting wrong with me?”

“You look nervous.”

“I ain’t get nervous, Rosie Roo,” he said gruffly. 

“Well-” Jeremy started but Robin shot him a look that warned him not to continue that sentence. 

Robin tugged the sleeves of his sweater. “Jer, I left me lighter in t’e ally by t’e bakery ‘n I’m feelin’ kinda… spazzy-”

“Hyper,” Jeremy corrected. 

“Hyper… do ya mind comin’ with me?” Jeremy nodded, standing and moving out the back of the booth. Robin leaned down towards Rosita and grinned. “I’m ‘bout ta ask him out!” 

“You haven’t done that yet?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Lame.”

Robin shook his head at her. “He told me ta surprise him.” 

She smiled a little as Jeremy appeared at the front of the booth and leaned close to Robin’s ear. “Good luck. Don’t miss your concert because you’re too busy banging you’re new boyfriend,” she whispered.

“Funny,” he grumbled, pulling away from her and joining Jeremy on the walk to the other side of campus. 

“You do look kind of nervous, Babu,” Jeremy said, brushing his hand with his when they’d gotten out of Harvest Fest and were on the empty campus sidewalk. 

Robin shrugged, tugging at his sleeves again. “Are ya feelin’ alrigh’? We didn’t really talk much after t’e whole ting with-”

“I’m alright,” Jeremy assured. “I just... I never expect to see people from the boy’s home outside of the home, you know? Even though a lot of the guys have turned eighteen and moved out, it’s weird to see them in the real world still causing the same problems they caused before. Except now instead of juvie, they’re getting jail time.” 

Robin frowned and pulled Jeremy into a quick side hug. “Dey aren’t worth a bit o’ yer brain power, Shorty.”

“How can they get any of my brain power when all I use my brain for these days is thinking about you?” 

“Cheeky,” Robin snorted. They reached the alley and Jeremy started scanning the ground for the lighter. “Why don’t ya look here and I’ll pop inside and see if I left it in the kitchen?”

Jeremy nodded and Robin went inside through the front door. Minutes later he reappeared through the side door that lead to the kitchen with the bouquet of flowers. 

“That’s not your lighter,” he chuckled, taking the flowers and smiled when he saw that they were made of an old Batman and Robin comic. “What are you doing, Robin?”

Robin grinned and Jeremy’s heart beat a little faster as it did almost every time Robin smiled at him. “Ya know how weird it is dat a bloody alley is t’e place we met? And t’e place we keep meetin’ every mornin’ dat we can.” 

Jeremy couldn’t suppress a smile when he put together what Robin was about to do. “It’s fucking weird,” he agreed. 

“But I look forward to it every single day. I look forward ta you every single day. Everyting ‘bout you just makes me so unimaginably happy, Jer. I don’t wanna worry ‘bout anyone else comin’ ‘n swooping ya off yer feet jus’ ‘cause I ain’t asked ya ta be mine yet.” Robin took the hand that wasn’t holding the bouquet and held it in both of his. “'N I want ya ta be mine so bloody badly, Jer. So, will ya be me boyfriend?”

“Of course I will, Babu,” Jeremy said, standing on his toes and wrapping his arms around Robin’s neck.

“Oh t’ank god,” Robin mumbled into Jeremy’s neck, hugging him as tight as he could. 

“This is why you were nervous?” Jeremy teased. “You already knew I was gonna say yes.”

Robin pulled away just enough to look into Jeremy’s face. “I didn’t know if ya’d t’ink it was dumb dat I was askin’ ya in t’e alley or not.” 

“No! It’s cute. You’re cute.” Jeremy smiled a little more and connected his lips to Robin’s. Robin quickly pulled them into a more shadowy part of the alley and pressed Jeremy’s back against the wall. 

“Oh!” he gasped, pulling away completely. “Dere’s someting else!”

Robin hurried inside, leaving Jeremy leaning against the wall with a bouquet of fake flowers in his hand. He came back out a moment later toting along the massive stuff frog behind his back. Despite his best efforts, Jeremy still had a clear view of what it was because of the shear size of it. 

“Big Alfred!” he said excitedly, reaching out for it.

“I won it at one o’ t’e games,” Robin said proudly, handing Jeremy the frog that almost swallowed him. “I was t’e first person all day ta shoot all t’e lil duckies with t’e water gun.”

“Levi played that! He won a bouncy ball, though.” Jeremy hugged the frog to his chest and peered at Robin over the side of it. “I love it, thank you.”

Robin smiled and kissed the side of Jeremy’s head. “Anyting fer ya, Shorty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It can be confirmed that I've been saying that Robin's not coming back for season 4 since January and unfortunately that seems like a reality. If we're being honest, that's also been part of the reason why we haven't updated for almost a month. It's hard for me to find the motivation to write for a ship when one of the characters might be dead or a pumpkin idk.
> 
> I'm aware that this is 100% because Justin probably decided to leave the show and unfortunately he's been in Newfoundland filming Hudson and Rex since two days before the first day of shooting for the back half of season 4 so Robin's return there seems highly unlikely. Either way, I'm still gonna keep writing Jetri, nothing's gonna change besides I'm about to have 4 new projects which you should definitely read if you like Harry Potter (I'll say when they've been posted) :)
> 
> But anyway, boyfriends!!


	25. Do Ya Know How Bloody Scary it is?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole opens up about her past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup y'all  
> Been a minute on this one. We started school, so it's been a mess  
> You also may notice another change...I promise u, Im still crackhead Queef, I just had to change my name for some personal reasons that don't really matter. The new one is my Twitter @ though, so maybe it's better anyway. Idk. Anyway I'm still Queef to y'all, just not by username.  
> Anyway this chap is kinda short but it's all one scene which actually means it's a really long one so lucky y'all. I really hope u guys like the backstory ur getting here cause I HAD TO DO A LOT OF RESEARCH SO U BETTER  
> anywho there's mentions of military stuff (obvi) so if that's not ur jam, maybe tread carefully with this one.  
> Love y'all. Have a good read ✌️

**Tuesday, November 2nd, 1993, 6:26 PM**

Nicole took a step back from the brunette and ran a hand down her face, letting out an airy breath,  _ “Oh, bloody ‘ell.”  _

Waverly shook her head, more tears rolling down her cheeks. “Bub, I’m so sorry, I-” 

“Don’t  _ Bub  _ me! How t’e  _ fuck  _ did ya even get dis, Waverly?” Nicole’s eyes were wide as they flicked over her face. “Did ya go t’rough me  _ file?!”  _

“I- I didn’t mean to, I promise.” 

Nicole let out a loud scoff as she threw her arms out in exasperation. “Ya didn’t  _ mean to?!  _ How d’ya not  _ mean to?! _ What? Ya want me ta go t’rough all o’  _ your  _ shite now?  _ Huh? _ Is dat alrigh’ with ya?-” __

_ “Corporal,”  _ Robin growled out, glaring at her when Nicole’s furious eyes snapped towards him.  _ “Hear ‘er out, _ fer  _ Christ’s  _ sake.”

Nicole looked back towards the brunette with a locked jaw. Waverly had flinched when Nicole’s arms had moved before. She had her hands clutched to her chest like she was protecting herself, never having seen Nicole angry at her like this before. “Please don’t get mad, I’m s-sorry.” 

Waverly’s words came out  _ so  _ soft and  _ so  _ fragile, Nicole was worried that she was going to break any second now. It took her all but a moment to remember her past. She realized that yelling at her was probably  _ not  _ the best way to get anything out of her since it was more likely to send her into a panic attack. Nicole let out a breath, clenching her jaw as she looked down at the picture for a few seconds. She ran a hand down her face as she racked her thoughts over for a few seconds, sighing as she lifted her head and moved towards her, but the brunette flinched again and took a step back. 

Nicole slowed down, putting her hands out a little. “Aye. Relax.” Waverly stared up at her with a mixture of worry and fear evident on her face. It wasn’t until Nicole had her arms wrapped around Waverly’s shaking body and a hand running through her hair that she started to relax, though. “I know, I scared ya, Love. I’m sorry . . . I’d never hurt ya, I meant it when I told ya dat.” 

Waverly choked back her tears, her arms still folded against her chest as she pressed her face into Nicole’s shirt. “I’m so sorry.” 

Nicole let out a sigh, releasing her from the hug and letting her arms fell back to her sides. “Let’s . . . find somewhere ta chat, yea?” Waverly nodded with a sniffle, wiping her hands on her face. “Alrigh’.” Nicole approached The Muffin Man booth knowing Robin still had hard eyes on her. “Ya got some napkins back dere or somethin’?” Robin leaned towards the table beside him and grabbed a couple, handing them over to her. “T’anks,” she mumbled, her eyes snapping up when his fingers wrapped around her wrist. They shared a look, and a message passed between them without any words needing to be said. Nicole gave him a small nod, stepping back when he released her arm and walking back over to Waverly. She handed her the napkins to use on her face, leading them away from the booth.

They walked in silence for a few minutes all the way to the track that was next to the area being used for the Harvest Fest. No one seemed to be around, so Nicole walked over to the metal bleachers and climbed over the bottom row, taking a seat on the second and propping her feet up on the first row. Waverly sat next to her, leaving about a foot or so between them. 

They were quiet for another couple seconds before starting at the same time, “So . . .”

They made eye contact for the first time since they had left, and Nicole swallowed, running her thumb over the edge of the picture when she pulled it out of her pocket. “Explain ta me . . . how ya found dis on _ accident.” _

Waverly looked down at her hands when she heard the frustration lingering in Nicole’s voice and nudged her glasses up her nose. “I . . . Levi’d been teasing me about us when I got there ‘cause he saw us go into the bathroom earlier, but no one knew who he was talking about. I got to your paper and said something dumb about how I liked dealing with your’s more than Champ’s since his was right before you, and Levi started teasing me again, but  _ Rachel  _ saw your name at the top.” 

“Who’s dat?” Nicole questioned, leaning her elbows on her knees.

“She’s just some freshman that works with me, I dunno.” Nicole let out a hum, allowing her to continue. “So . . . she saw your name and didn’t know who you were, so Levi was going to try and  _ describe  _ you, but I put a stop to that ‘cause you’re . . .  _ unique.”  _

“Oh, t’anks,” Nicole mumbled. 

“Find me another scary tall redhead on campus,” Waverly huffed, waiting for her to purse her lips before continuing. “Anyway. I remembered that every student has their picture in their file, and most kids get theirs taken, like,  _ here, _ so I didn’t think anything of it. I was just gonna grab the picture, show her, and put it back, but . . .”

“But ya saw dis,” Nicole finished for her, wiggling the photo.

“Yea,” Waverly mumbled. “I- I didn’t  _ go through  _ the file or anything, but the picture was paper clipped to a sheet a-and I was freaking out ‘cause I was  _ confused, _ but it was just one of your foreign exchange papers, so it was- it didn’t tell me anything I don’t already know besides that you . . . didn’t actually  _ go  _ to the uni in Dublin.” 

Nicole picked at her nails, keeping her eyes off of her. “Yea . . . Dis is me first on-campus experience, ‘ere. I was doin', uh, TV ‘n radio classes with booklets 'n shite while I was in the army.” 

Waverly raised her brows at her for a moment before looking back down at her feet. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to- You don’t have to tell me anything at  _ all  _ if you want. Sure, maybe there’s stuff I’d like to know ‘cause . . . I wanna be able to help you- But it’s not up to me. It’s up to you, and I completely understand that.”

Nicole slowly sat back on the bleachers, leaning her back against the seat behind her. She let go of her cheek that she had been chewing, flicking her eyes around for a moment before finally turning her head to meet Waverly’s eyes. She grabbed the hand that Waverly had been picking at, rolling her thumb over hers knuckles before tugging her towards her. “C’mere.” 

Waverly scooted towards her and Nicole slipped her arm around her, pulling her to lean back beside her and fit into her side. “Bub,” Waverly mumbled softly as she stiffened and looked around.

“Ain’t nobody gonna be out here, it’s almost dark,” Nicole assured gently, giving her a squeeze. “Ya’re freezin’ anyhow.” She sat up and wiggled out of her insulated flannel. 

“I’m fi-” 

“Ya’re  _ always _ cold, and I ain’t havin’ me baby freeze out in November weather,” Nicole huffed, getting her to sit up and forcing one of the sleeves onto her arm. 

“Now  _ you’re  _ gonna be cold,” Waverly argued as the redhead continued to pull the flannel onto her. 

“I’m a  _ ginger, _ I run hot,” Nicole reasoned, pulling the front closed and leaning back against the bleachers. “Dere we are.” 

“Redhead’s are actually more sensitive to hot and co-” 

_ “Waverly Earp,  _ any other day ya’d be draggin’ dat off o’ me. Wear t’e damn flannel.”

The brunette let out a sigh of defeat, snuggling back into her side and looking out at the sunset in front of them.  _ “Anyway.” _

“Anyway,” Nicole echoed, though her voice was quieter than it had been before. “. . . I want ya ta know I woulda told ya ‘bout dis eventually.” 

“I know,” Waverly said, slowly rubbing her thumb in patterns on Nicole’s thigh. “And I wished you would’ve been able to do it when  _ you  _ were ready.”

Nicole let out a sigh, “Me, too. I get ya weren’t snoopin’ me out, t’ough, so I ain’t too caught up on dat, alrigh’? Ain’t nothin’ we can do about it now.” Waverly nodded, leaning her head against her shoulder. “. . . I’ll tell ya  _ now  _ dat ain’t a soul but me own is gonna know it all. And dere’s  _ a lot _ no one knows. Robbie  _ t’inks  _ he knows a lot, but he don’t. Dere’s jus’ too much fer it all to be known.” 

“That’s understandable,” Waverly mumbled.

“But, uh . . . We’re datin’ ‘n all now, so I figure since ya know I was a wee baldy in basics,” she flicked her buzzcut picture, “ya should get ta know some o’ t’e other important tings, too.” 

“Baby, you don’t owe me  _ any  _ explanations for  _ anythi-” _

“I know I don’t, trust me,” Nicole interrupted. “I jus’ . . . I showed ya me knee, what, t’e  _ day  _ after we met?” Waverly looked up at her with a nod. “I already knew dere was somethin’ special ta ya den, and I still do now.” The brunette smiled softly, and Nicole pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose before leaning her head back all the way, staring up at the sky. "I ain't talked about none o' dis besides briefly ta Nedley since . . . since dey made me back home." 

"You told Nedley?" Waverly asked in confusion. "Why?" 

"He kinda figured it out on his own, so I jus' decided I could fill in some o' t'e blanks fer 'em." 

Waverly let out a hum in understanding. "Well . . . If there's things you talk about now that you don't wanna talk about later or things you don't wanna talk about now but would later, I'm fine with that. All I want is for you to know that you're not alone anymore." She met the redhead's eyes when Nicole lifted her head. "I know you've got Robin, but I just- You don't have to hide from me, ok? There's probably things I won't understand, but . . . I'll always be here for you. No matter what." 

Nicole smiled at her, her eyes filled with nothing but . . . an  _ L word _ Waverly wasn't going to think about at the moment. Nicole sighed, tearing her eyes away from her before she said something dumb and shifting on the bench. "I guess dis starts at  _ why  _ I joined up, huh?" Waverly nodded. "Alrigh'. Well. Me 'n Robbie had always talked about it. We grew up 'round guns, t'ought dey were neat, and wanted ta get ta use 'em in t'e  _ Army  _ since dat was  _ cooler _ dan jus' huntin' 'n shite. And . . . after, uh, Robbie's brother was killed during a deployment, he decided he was still gonna join 'cause he’d  _ always _ wanted ta ‘n his dad was in it too. Runs in his family, I guess. I t'ought on it and decided why t'e feck not, I was still gonna, too. A few months later, dere we were at t'e recruitment office, signin' ourselves up fer trainin’ dat shipped out after we graduated. When I had  _ initially _ decided on it, it was jus' 'cause I wanted ta be a badass, but . . . as I got older, I realized dat it was more so I could, uh, show me dad dat I was more dan jus' a worthless lil girl. Dat's all he ever saw me as. I knew dat if I could come outta t'e Army as a  _ soldier,  _ he wouldn't be able to tell me ta me face day I was nothin' anymore." 

"Fuck," Waverly mumbled. 

"Yea, he's a bloody tool." 

"Did you even . . . tell him you were signing up before you did?" 

"I didn't tell anyone," Nicole answered with a little chuckle. "Robin, his old man, and me were t'e only ones who knew." 

"I bet that went over well then."

Nicole slowly shook her head. "I told me family over dinner one night. I figured me dad wouldn't be able ta get too mad dere 'n den, but I was  _ very  _ wrong." 

"Uh oh," Waverly mumbled.

"Big uh oh," Nicole confirmed. "He . . . After I told 'em I was serious 'cause none of ' em believed me, he t'rew his whiskey glass, jumped outta his chair, and grabbed me by t'e back o' me neck before draggin' me outta t'e house, effin’ and blindin’ at me."

“Why?” Waverly asked softly. “Did he just not want you to?”

Nicole let out a laugh- An  _ honest to God  _ laugh as she looked towards her. “Ya wanna know why he didn’t want me ta go?” Waverly cocked a brow. “He was upset dat I wouldn’t be dere no more fer t’e  _ business.  _ ‘Cause, ya know, 80% o’ t’e meat we sold was what  _ I’d  _ killed. He was upset dat t’e one who taught  _ herself  _ ta be a damned good sniper was headin’ off ta try ‘n use ‘er skills fer t’e better.”

“For  _ the better.  _ Like, on  _ humans  _ instead of animals,” Waverly mumbled. Nicole flicked her eyes towards her with a  _ very  _ sharp glare that wiped those thoughts right out of Waverly’s head. She cleared her throat with a tip of her head. “So . . . then what happened?” 

_ “Well.  _ It wasn’t until dat very day dat I realized he cared more about money ‘n power dan his  _ child,  _ which had me  _ bloody  _ angry. It probably ain't help dat I was on t'e  _ wrong  _ side o' four or five pints of t'e black stuff either."

"Oh, perfect ," Waverly mumbled. 

"Yea, right? . . . I was angry 'n partially hammered, so I, uh, I told 'em ta go ta hell." Waverly widened her eyes at her. "Keep in mind dat he's a feckin' Holy Joe, and dat we weren't even allowed ta  _ look _ at 'em wrong if we didn't wanna get popped in t'e gob. Never really hard 'less he was real upset, but . . . fer yellin' 'em ta go to hell, me _ seven foot, 22 stone  _ father _ pucked  _ me with  _ everythin'  _ he had." 

Waverly’s mouth fell open. “Oh my God.” She grabbed her hand and pulled it into her lap so she could hold it there. “Why would he do that?” 

“‘Cause he’s a dick,” she grumbled. “He always’d feckin’ hated me, ‘n he finally found himself a reason ta let it out on me.”

“Bub,” Waverly said softly.

Nicole shook her head. “I already hated ‘em. It didn’t do much but show me more dat I needed ta prove meself out dere.”

Waverly let out a sigh, shaking her head as she pressed a kiss to a couple of her knuckles, holding Nicole’s hand with both of her’s since they both practically fit in her palm.

Ok, not really, but still. She had big hands.

“We’re done talking about him,” she mumbled. “Next subject.” 

“Next subject,” Nicole echoed. “Uh . . . I shipped off fer me trainin at T’e Curragh-” 

“The  _ huh?”  _

“T’e place where I had ta train at. Curragh Camp.”

“Ooh,” Waverly said with a nod. “Ok, continue.” 

“So I, uh . . . did dat.”

“You don’t seem too sure about that,” Waverly mumbled. 

“Oh, I’m sure of it, alrigh’,” she assured. “Jus’, uh, lots o’ shite happened as I went along t’rough it.” The brunette let out a hum in understanding, not planning on asking any further questions about that. “I, uhm . . .” Nicole tapped her thumb on Waverly’s hand, chewing her lip in thought. “In November of ‘91, I was deployed fer ta first  _ real _ time ta . . .  _ somewhere.”  _

“Somewhere?” Waverly questioned. 

“Classified,” Nicole mumbled. 

“Wait, like,  _ actually?” _

Nicole chuckled as she looked towards her with a cocked brow. “Yes,  _ actually _ .”

“Oh.” She moved closer to her to shield herself from the chilled wind blowing in their direction. “Continue.”

“I was  _ somewhere.  _ A few places actually until, uh, January o’ dis year when . . .” She poked her knee a few times. “Until dis happened, ‘n I was discharged.”

“You were deployed for over a  _ year?” _

_ “425 _ days,” she answered with a sigh. "It'll be two years tomorrow since I went off, actually." 

"Oh, that's . . . ironic," Waverly said with wide eyes. 

"Very," Nicole mumbled. "Alrigh' . . . I'll give ya one question and one question only. Not saying' I'll answer it, but I'll let ya ask." 

Waverly's brows furrowed. "Are you sure?" 

"I'm sure, Baby. Hit me." 

_ "Never," _ she said after gasping softly, gently rubbing her cheek with her thumb. 

Nicole tipped her head at her playfully, smiling gently as she leaned into a kiss. "Ya know what I meant." 

"I . . ." She let out a breath in contemplation. "Wait, I thought Ireland always stayed neutral in conflicts." 

Nicole raised her brows at her quickly, shaking her head with a breathy laugh. "Maybe I don't like havin' a super-brained girlfriend after all." 

"Hey!" She whined. 

"Aye, I'm coddin' ya," Nicole chuckled. "Dat's one o' me favorite t'ings about ya." 

"My  _ brain?"  _ She questioned. 

"Mhm," Nicole hummed as she leaned in closer to her face, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Yer brain's  _ gorgeous, _ Love."

Waverly smiled as Nicole glanced down at her lips and allowed her to meet them when she leaned in towards her about an inch. She slipped her hand up to cup Nicole's cheek, sliding her finger down after a few seconds and pressing on her chin to detach her. "Back on topic, Corporal." 

"Finally picked up on dat one, did ya?" Nicole asked with a crooked grin. 

"I thought Robin was just, like, joking before," she mumbled. "Or it was some inside joke." 

"Not at all," she chuckled. "Alrigh',  _ anyway.  _ Uh, yer right. Ireland tries ta stay outta everything, but . . . apparently not always, aye?"

"I mean-" She gestured towards Nicole. "Yea, obviously. That . . ." She shook her head, though. "It doesn't make sense, though. 'Cause they're-" 

Nicole put her hand on her knee. "Sweetheart, it's all classified fer a  _ reason. _ Dere's a lotta shite ain't no civilians know about." 

Waverly pursed her lips, letting out a sigh through her nose as she leaned her head back onto Nicole's shoulder. “Lame.” 

“I’m sorry,” she chuckled. 

“. . . Technically I didn’t ask a question,” Waverly said after a few seconds. 

Nicole looked down at her with raised brows. “Yea, ya did.”

“Nu-uh!” She argued. 

“Yea! Ya asked if yer brain was one o’ me favorite t’ings about ya.” 

Waverly scoffed, “No! That doesn’t count!” 

The redhead let out a sigh, leaning back against the bench again. “Fine. Ask away.” 

“Hmm,” she mumbled as she racked her brain to choose a question wisely. “. . . If you were away from home for over a year  _ less  _ than a year ago, why are you studying abroad away from your family already?” 

She watched Nicole’s jaw clench when she leaned back beside her, and she furrowed her brows. Nicole looked down at her, letting out a heavy sigh.  _ “Well . . .  _ Robbie got his scholarship thingy dat I told ‘em ta sign up fer, and . . . I decided I might as well try ta get in ta a program.” 

“But like . . .  _ why?”  _

“‘Cause I didn’t want ‘em all alone in a foriegn country,” she shrugged. Waverly narrowed her eyes at her a little and she pursed her lips.  _ “Fine _ . . . I was tired o’ bein’ treated like I was  _ broken  _ back home or have  _ everythin' _ shoved back in me face everyday. I love me mum with me whole heart, trust me. But . . . she made it her duty ta wait on me hand ‘n foot. At first, I got it. I was feckin’ . . . bed ridden with a gammy knee so I couldn’t walk much ‘n could only use one arm since dis one was messed up. Plus she was worried about me head, so she barely let me do anythin’ I  _ could  _ do with jus’ two limbs.” 

Waverly furrowed her brow. “What happened with your head?” 

“I, uh, . . . I went unconscious in t’e medivac ‘cause me brain puffed up after I hit me head when . . . ya know, this stuff happened.” She gestured to her knee and shoulder. “I didn’t come back around fer six days, but-” 

“You were in a  _ fucking  _ coma?!” 

“Jus’ a wee baby one,” Nicole mumbled with an assuring smile. “See, ya wouldn’t even know unless I told ya, Love. I’m fine.” 

“Oh my  _ God,  _ Bub,” she mumbled, her voice cracking. She crawled into Nicole's lap and gripped her shirt with one hand, cupping her cheek with the other. “Why the  _ hell  _ didn’t you tell me that?!” 

“Aye, I’m alrigh’. Ain’t no reason I felt like I needed ta.” 

“Nicole, you have  _ brain damage!  _ I  _ know  _ you didn’t come out of that completely 100%, so don’t tell me you’re  _ fine.”  _

“I’m like . . . 90%,” she shrugged. “Bloody  _ lucky  _ more den anythin’.” 

Waverly let out a shaky breath, wiping tears from her face before they could even fall all the way. “Nic . . .” She shook her head, leaning her head against her chest and sliding her hand down to the side of her neck. She gently pressed her thumb against Nicole's pulse point so she could feel it beating.

Nicole wrapped her arms around her tightly, and Waverly pulled her knees up, resting her feet on her thigh so she was even closer to the redhead. “I’m right ‘ere. Ain’t goin’ nowhere on ya.” 

“You promise?” Waverly asked with a sniffle, lifting her head to look at her. 

Nicole nodded with a soft smile. “I  _ swear  _ it, Love.” 

Waverly relaxed against her some, sliding her hand down to rest on her stomach as she pulled in a deep breath of the vanilla scent that always radiated Nicole’s body. 

Nicole pressed a couple of gentle kisses to her head, letting her calm down before she continued on. “. . . T’e only bits I carry with me from it is me pretty minor tinnitus-” 

“Is that the ear ringing thing?” Waverly mumbled. 

“Yea. It’s mostly in me right ear, but it’ll be in both sometimes. Uh, I get killer headaches every once in a while, ‘n the ringin’ ain’t really help with dat. I take medicine fer dat, t’ough. But, uhm, t’e worst t’ing’s probably been t’e, uh . . .” 

“What, Baby?” Waverly asked softly, rubbing her thumb on her arm when she noticed the pain and annoyance on her face. 

Nicole let out a heavy breath, meeting her eyes. “Ya know how I’m bloody fuckin’ stupid?” 

She shook her head, furrowing her brows tightly. “You’re not stupid.”

“Yea, I am,” she argued. “Ya know it, too.” 

“Hey,” Waverly said softly, sitting up on her lap and dropping her legs to fall in between the redhead’s. She tipped her head towards her. “You’re not, ok? . . . I’m gonna guess you’ve got learning retention problems now, yea?” 

Nicole slowly nodded as she dropped her gaze again. “Dat’s- When I failed Nedley’s test ‘n lost it?”

Waverly tipped her chin up. “You struggled with the first part of his class and others because you weren’t there to learn it, and you understand things better when you’re  _ right there _ with it now. It didn’t matter  _ how  _ many times we went over it because you weren’t there to  _ really  _ be taught everything in class.” 

Nicole swallowed the burn in her throat with a shake of her head. “How t’e hell-”

“Do I know that?” Waverly asked, finishing the question for her.

“Yea.” 

She smiled a little, rubbing her thumb over the still-healing cut on her cheek from her fight with Champ. “‘Cause I kinda already figured that out, so I read up on it so I can help you a little more in the future. Also Wynonna had some of the same problems- not  _ exactly  _ that, but still, so I had to help her, too.” Nicole let out a small hum in understanding, still not meeting her eyes. “Bub, you’re  _ not  _ stupid, ok?” She tapped her cheek when she purposely didn’t acknowledge her.  _ “Ok?”  _

Nicole met her pointed look with watery eyes. “Do ya know how bloody  _ scary  _ it is when yer brain don’t work like it did a year ago?” 

Waverly’s face softened and she turned her body to face her more. She grabbed Nicole's wrists and pulled her hands into her lap. “I don’t, but I can imagine.” 

“Like, I came outta a coma, had  _ no  _ idea where in t'e  _ fuck  _ I was, and t’e doctors tried ta explain ta me what happened, but dey had ta brake it down to bloody  _ elementary  _ school terms jus’ so I could fuckin’  _ comprehend  _ why I was inna hospital bed and  _ why  _ me leg wasn’t workin’, and,  _ yea,  _ obviously I'ma bit better now, b-but-" 

Nicole's voice broke, and Waverly's heart shattered with it. She let out a soft hush as she gently ran her fingers through Nicole's hair to try and keep her from getting too worked up. "It's ok," she said calmingly. "You're ok, Baby." 

"I jus'-" She paused again and closed her eyes as Waverly wiped away the one tear that escaped. "I wanna be normal again. Back before I was  _ hurt  _ and me brain still worked like it did and I was able ta get A's on  _ everything'  _ I did, a- and before I had me  _ war demons,  _ and jus' . . .  _ everything."  _

"I know, Honey," Waverly soothed. "It's hard." 

Nicole sucked in a quick breath, letting it out in a heavy huff. "It all jus' makes me  _ so bloody angry _ 'cause . . ." She shook her head, meeting Waverly's eyes. "'Cause fer some feckin' reason, I don't regret joinin' up one bit." 

Waverly let out a sigh, rubbing her hands. "It shaped you into who you are.- Hell, I dunno if I'd  _ like _ a non-damaged, non-scarred Nicole as much as I like you. You wouldn't be . . .  _ you. _ And I like you for who  _ you  _ are. You're my funny, caring, sweet, sometimes shithead girlfriend who doesn't show anyone that you give a damn about what they think about you, even if you do deep down. You're  _ strong _ and  _ brave  _ and-and just . . . everything I want. Nothing more, nothing less." 

Nicole bit the inside of her lip to keep it from wobbling too much. She swallowed some emotions down, shaking her head. “So yer not mad?” 

“About what. Baby?” 

“About . . . me bein’ dumb.” 

Waverly let out a huff, quickly shaking her head. “Bub,  _ why  _ would I be mad about that?” 

“I dunno,” she mumbled. 

Waverly rubbed her cheek, clearing off another tear. “I’m not mad. I’m  _ glad  _ I know all this now, ok? I wanna be here for you.” 

“I want ya ‘ere, too,” Nicole said softly as she leaned forward to press their foreheads together. 

“Then I’m right here,” Waverly smiled, dropping her hands onto the tops of her thighs. “You wanna head back to my dorm? I can make us vegan hot chocolate and we can cuddle and watch my collection of Disney VCRs until we fall asleep?”

Nicole sat back, and Waverly saw that most, if not all the pain was gone from her face now.  _ “Obviously.”  _

Waverly giggled as she stood up and reached for her hand, looking up at her when she took it and stood. She pulled her along behind her as she jumped off the bleachers, dropping her hand when they walked out from in front of them and started heading that way. Waverly pouted her lip a little, running her hand down her arm that was only covered by the sleeve of her loose grey long-sleeved shirt. “You’re cold.” 

“Nah,” she mumbled, a small smirk crawling onto her lips. “I’m  _ Haught.”  _

“Shut  _ up,”  _ Waverly groaned. “God, Wynonna’s gonna  _ milk  _ that when you guys meet . . . whenever it is that she decides to live up to her promise and come home.”

Nicole gave her a small assuring smile as she looked down at her. “Aye, she can’t stay from ya forever. She’ll be back sometime.” 

Waverly let out a sad sigh, walking closer to her and bumping her a few times as they walked. “ . . . I hope so.” 

“She will, Baby. I’m sure of it.” Nicole glanced towards Robin and Rosita finishing up at The Muffin Man booth, giving her hand a squeeze. “Keep goin’, I’ll catch up.” She nodded towards Robin. “I wanna let ‘em know where I’m at.” Waverly did so, crossing her arms in front of her chest after pulling the sleeves over her hands to keep herself warm as she watched her do her cute little walk-jog over there.

“Aye, Jett!” Nicole called, smacking her hands on the table in the front of the booth. 

He turned towards her with a huff, wiping his hands on his pants. “What?” 

"I'm headed ta Waves' gaff fer t'e night." 

He raised his brows at her. "I'd take it all went grand den, aye?" 

"I tink so, ya," she mumbled. 

He smiled a little at her. "Ya feel better 'bout it?" 

"Oh, heaps, Mate . . . I don't gotta have as many walls up no more." 

"I bet," he said before cocking a brow. ". . . Didja tell 'er about . . ." 

Nicole let out a laugh that scared him a bit, shaking her head as she turned away from the booth.  _ "Feck  _ no. Who d'ya t'ink I am?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...well that's not good  
> Lmao y'all should know by now that I was gonna pull some shit, so don't be surprised 
> 
> Waves reacted to that a lot better than I thought she would considering how she was when Nic slammed Chimp's head into the table that one time and she wasn't having any of it. Maybe she's realizing who nic as a person now, so she's learning to accept it, idk. 
> 
> Anyway y'all thanks for reading. This was a fun one to do 
> 
> (ALSO HELL YEA TO JETRI CONFIRMED LAST CHAP, AMIRIGHT??)


	26. Ta Bein' Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> uhh... :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things  
> 1\. For the lesbians who don't wanna read about dicks, smut's marked with a - at the beginning and end, you're welcome :)  
> 2\. This applies for all chapters, but the next two are really heavy with it so I think it's important to mention that we will almost always write our own characters in each others chapters to keep the characters consistent. This means that the second half of both of our chapters are very much co written.   
> With that in mind, please enjoy the following shit shows.

**Thursday, November 4th, 1993 7:52 PM**

“I’m ‘bout ta leave, already,” he grumbled. 

“Boohoo, I wanna get high and play carnival games.” 

Robin rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat. “Yer not gettin’ one fer free. Ain’t no way in hell.” 

Chrissy crossed her arms. “Please?”

“Nah, love. Just come ta t’e bar with Nic, Babycakes, Jer, ‘n me. Ya can get drunk instead ‘n not steal any o’ me product.”

As she contemplated this, Doc arrived at the booth, a wad of cash in his hand and a weary expression on his face. “Mr. Jett,” he greeted, tipping his hat in Robin’s direction. “I have heard from a highly reliable resource, that is to say, Miss Haught has informed me that you are selling a brownie with a  _ particular herb  _ baked into it for $11 a piece.”

Robin grinned a little. “Well fer you, Dr. Holliday, ya get t’e not a pompous arse of a teacher discount. $9, jus’ fer ya.” 

Doc’s mustache twitched, and he set down $40 on the table. “Why thank you, Robin. That’s very kind of you. I’ll take four if you’ve got them.”

Chrissy let out a raspberry and glared at Robin. “Save a couple of those for the rest of us, will you?”

“Only if ya t’row down t’e money fer ‘em,” Robin retorted, pulling a container out from under one of the tables. He slipped four brownies into a brown paper bag. “Here ya are, Doc. Have a safe break.”

“You do the same,” Doc said with a smile, tipping his hat at both of them. 

Chrissy sat down on the table in front of Robin, sticking her butt out a little and fluttering her eyelashes. “Please, Robin. Just one little brownie. I’ll do anything you want. I’ll suck you off,” she offered as if that was meant to be a highly enticing offer.

“I’m still incredibly gay ‘n even if I wasn’t, ya’re not me type, Chris.”

“I’ll find you a cute guy to hook up with then!” she said, grabbing his arm before he put the container back under the table.

Robin rolled his eyes. “I’ve got dat taken care of fer meself, t’anks. Jer ‘n I are really happy with our relationship, in case ya were concerned ‘bout dat at all when ya offered ta put me in t’e sack with another bloke.”

“You finally asked Jer out?” she gasped. “And you got him in bed?”

“I asked him yesterday,” he mumbled, feeling the heat creep to his cheeks. He wasn’t sure that he was supposed to be telling people yet. Especially people as loud mouthed at Chrissy Nedley. “And t’e second part ain’t none of yer business.”

“Hey, babe!”

Both of them looked up to see Perry Crofte coming towards the booth. Robin raised an eyebrow as Chrissy hopped off the table and straightened her clothes. She smiled widely at Perry, and he returned it without hesitation.

“Bit o’ a weird ting ta call yer dealer, mate,” Robin said, breaking up their googly eyes. 

“Good thing I wasn’t talking to you then,” Perry said, setting down some money on the table and waiting as Robin to pack a brown bag full of the remaining brownies. “I was thinking we each have one of these and then go play some carnival games, what do you think?” he asked, wrapping an arm around Chrissy’s waist. 

Robin gagged a little and handed him the bag. “Didn’t take ya fer t’e datin’ type, Chris.” 

Chrissy tore her eyes from Perry and glared at Robin. “I didn’t take you for one either, but now you’re rushing to get out of here to go see your Shorty, aren’t you?”

“Touché,” Robin said, handing Perry the bag. “Stay safe.” 

“Have fun at the bar,” she said, waving before her and Perry walked away, his arm still around her waist.

“Hello,” said a dull voice from the back entrance of the booth. “I’m here for my shift.” 

Robin turned towards the emo girl that worked at the counter on the days that Rosita didn’t. He sighed and nodded, taking the box of brownies under his arm and collecting the rest of his things. “Have a good night.”

“I won’t,” she deadpanned, taking his seat and pulling a Walkman headset over her ears.

He shook his head at her weird strappy pants and platform shoes and left the booth quickly, taking a shortcut towards the dorms. 

“Oi! Robbie!” Nicole appeared under one of the streetlights with Waverly trailing closely behind her with a big stuffed unicorn -not nearly as big as Big Alfred- in her arms. 

“Look what Nic won me at the ring toss!” Waverly giggled as she bounced around, the giant unicorn flopping in her arms.

Robin smiled softly at her. “Dat’s a mighty fine unicorn ya got dere, Babycakes. It got a name?”

“His name’s Pumpkin in honor of our two dead pumpkins from last night,” she said, glancing up at Nicole with a sour expression on her face. 

“Yeah, I heard a kid slipped ‘n fell on someting on t’e pavement early dis mornin’ ‘n got a concussion,” Robin mumbled. “Dat happen ta be yer dead punking’s remains?’

Nicole pursed her lips. “Maybe…”

Robin shook his head at her. “Still meetin’ ya at t’e bar in an hour, yeah?”

“Jeremy’s still coming, isn’t he?” Waverly asked.

“I’m headin’ back ta t’e dorms ta talk to him,” he explained, tilting his head in the direction of the dorms. “He needed ta go feed Alfred ‘n he never came back.”

“He’s alrigh’, ain’t he?”

Robin nodded, adjusting the box under his arm. “Probably takin’ a nap. He ate a wee too much o’ one o’ me brownies ‘n it gave him a hell o’ a headache.”

“Did you let Jeremy eat a pot brownie?” Waverly gasped. “He doesn’t do weed!”

Nicole snorted a laugh and Robin shot her a warning look. “I should get back. He might be t’rowin’ up or someting.”

“He better not be!” 

He pat the top of Waverly’s head with his free hand and smiled. “Don’t worry ‘bout nothin’, Babycakes. I’ll have Shorty out ‘n about in time ta meet ya at t’e bar.”

“Well, if he’s really not feeling well-”

“He’ll be dere,” Robin assured. “I’ll see ya at 9.”

Robin left the two standing on the sidewalk and hurried towards the dorms. He got into the dorms and found his door already unlocked since he’d given Jeremy his keys earlier in the day. Inside, the curtains were open and Jeremy’s form was illuminated by the streetlights outside. 

He set down all of his things and knelt down on the bed where Jeremy was asleep, Big Alfred under his arm and one of his legs. “Hey, Shorty,” he whispered, running a hand up Jeremy’s back and leaning down to kiss his cheek. 

Jeremy grunted and lifted his head from where it was buried in Big Alfred’s body. “Mornin’,” he grumbled. 

“Happy 8 o’clock at night,” Robin corrected in whispered, laying down next to him. 

“Oh.” Jeremy glanced at the alarm clock and then rolled into Robin’s arms. “Happy 8 o’clock at night.” 

Robin smiled and wrapped his arms tight around Jeremy’s body. “How’s yer head?”

“All better,” he said, tipping his head up to leave a soft kiss on Robin’s lips. “Sorry I didn’t come back. Alfred was almost out of crickets so I had to walk to the pet store down the street and pick some up and then I got back and my head hurt even worse, so I laid down, and I guess I fell asleep.” 

“Only fer four hours,” Robin teased. 

“Well, at least my head doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Robin nodded, kissing Jeremy’s forehead. “Dat’s t’e most important ting.”

Jeremy smiled and let his head rest on Robin’s chest. “What do you wanna do tonight?”

“Nic ‘n Waves were askin’ if we wanted ta go ta t’e bar with dem in like… an hour.” 

“An hour?” Jeremy groaned. “I was hoping to maybe… I don’t know.” He shook his head and hid his face back in Robin’s chest. “Never mind.”

Robin smirked a little and rolled Jeremy on his back so that he could straddle his hips. “Ya can’t do dat, Shorty.”

“Who says?” Jeremy asked, covering his face with his hands. 

“I says,” Robin said, tracking Jeremy's wrists and pressing them into the pillow. “Tell me what ya were hopin’ fer.”

“I will not.”

Robin dipped his head and pressed a soft kiss to the exposed soft spot above Jeremy’s collarbone. “Why not?” 

“‘Cause I don’t want to.” 

“Why not?” he asked, pressing another kiss to his other collarbone.

Jeremy reached his head up just enough to catch Robin’s lip. “Because I don’t trust Fish and Levi’s judgement right now.”

Robin raised an eyebrow. “Now I’m real curious. Dose two are kinky lil feckers.” 

“You’re gonna make fun of me.” 

“Why would I do dat?” 

“Because I’ve never done…  _ this _ before.”

Robin grinned a little. “Shorty, ya ain’t done most tings before. Dat’s part o’ t’e beauty o’ bein’ with ya. I get ta help ya experience all t’e fun tings.” 

“I hope you know that I’m very uncultured in… everything,” Jeremy said. “I didn’t know what rimming was until, like, six months ago.”

“Is dat what dey suggested?” Robin asked with an excited smile. “‘Cause I’m more dan happy ta help with dat.”

Jeremy’s eyes widened a little. “Uh… no, but I’m definitely open to the idea.”

“Good ta know.” Robin thought for a moment. “What would Fish ‘n Levi suggest fer us? Choking?” 

“I don’t wanna hurt you,” Jeremy frowned. 

Robin grinned, leaning forward until their lips were almost touching. “I didn’t say I was t’e one gettin’ choked, Shorty.” 

Jeremy’s eyes widened in surprise and he let out a nervous laugh. “Oh…” 

“So chokin’ makes ya more flustered dan whatever ya’re talkin’ ‘bout, gotcha,” he said, tugging at Jeremy’s bottom lip with his teeth. “What ‘bout-” He paused, smirking a little. “Now I can’t stop tinking ‘bout givin’ ya a rimjob.” 

Jeremy shook his head. “That one’s for another day.”

Robin hummed in content with that answer. “What ‘bout handcuffs? I got some o’ dose.” 

“Why am I not surprised?” 

Robin raised his eyebrow. “Is dat what it is?”

“Do I get to handcuff you to something?” Jeremy asked.

“Maybe?” 

“Then maybe,” he teased.

Robin sucked in a deep breath and shook his head. “Not handcuffs… someting else in me drawer?”

“You mean the drawer filled with things you might have shoved up a  _ certain waiter's _ ass?” Jeremy asked, pulling away from him slightly. 

“Can’t let dat go, can ya?” Robin sighed, sitting up. “I can’t blame ya, though. If I ever see Bailey, I’m gonna puck him one.” 

Jeremy smiled a little. “I’d find that very attractive.” 

Robin mimicked his smile and rolled off the bed. “Good ta know.”

“Where are you going?” Jeremy pouted. 

Robin ignored him and opened the bottom drawer of the dresser, digging around it for a second and pulling out a string of hot pink anal beads and a matching pink vibrator. “He’s got bad taste,” he muttered before chucking both things into the trash bin next to the bed and kicking the drawer closed. “No more Kennedy ta worry ‘bout, alrigh’? He ain’t got a single part o’ me or dis dorm. Even t’e sheets are different.”

“Babu,” Jeremy cooed, reaching out for Robin and grabbing him by the hips. 

“I don’t want ya ta ever feel like yer battlin’ fer me ‘n me attention,” Robin told him, cupping his cheeks in his hands. “‘Cause I can guarantee dat ya got all o’ me ‘n  _ den  _ some.”

He sat down in the middle of the bed and pulled Jeremy into his lap. Jeremy met his lips and kissed him softly. He wrapped his legs around Robin’s waist and his arms around his neck. “You’ve got all of me too,” he mumbled against his lips. 

Robin smiled against Jeremy’s lips. “Jus’ so ya know, I know ya were tryin’ ta ask to 69 ‘cause Fish ‘n Levi asked if ya brought it up yet earlier. I was just seein’ what ya might wanna try later.” 

Jeremy’s face turned red in an instant. “I’m gonna kill them both.”

-

“Nah, don’t. It was good ta know,” Robin insisted, groping Jeremy’s ass. “Do ya wanna get t’e curtain or should I?”

“We’re supposed to be getting ready to go to the bar,” Jeremy reminded, though his hips grinded up against Robin’s. 

Robin shrugged, tugging his shirt off over his head and throwing it. “Dey can wait.”

Jeremy hesitated before crawling off his lap and pulling the curtains closed. He looked around the dark room to let his eyes adjust before they landed on Robin’s outline laying with his head by the foot of the bed. 

“Take yer undies off ‘n come ‘ere,” Robin said, undoing his belt and kicking off his jeans while Jeremy undressed. 

Jeremy pushed Big Alfred onto the floor and sat on his knees next to Robin. “Now what?” 

“Give me yer body.” Robin grabbed Jeremy by the hips and helped him to straddle his face. 

“This feels awkwa-” Jeremy gasped as Robin took him in his mouth before he could finish speaking. He struggled for a moment, unsure of what to do with his hands or his body, but finally settled for leaning forward towards Robin’s legs and pressing their bodies together. He let one hand squeeze Robin’s thigh and the other wrapped around the shaft of his cock before he took it in his mouth. 

Robin wrapped his arms around Jeremy’s legs and grabbed his ass, forcing his cock further into his mouth and making Jeremy moan around him. He swirled his tongue around the head of Robin’s cock and sucked it, using the hand that wan’t clutching his thigh to move down and massage his balls. 

It wasn’t long before both of their movements became erratic as they grew closer to climax. Robin felt warmth pool in his stomach and he squeezed Jeremy’s ass in warning before he bucked his hips up, hitting the back of Jeremy’s throat and came, gasping around Jeremy’s length. 

**-**

Suddenly he was blinded by the dorm lights. Jeremy’s body grew tense on top of him just as a scream rang out through the room. He pulled off Robin, cum dribbling down his chin as he looked back to Nicole and Waverly staring at them with their jaws dropped in disgust.

_ “Jaysus fuckin’ Christ!”  _ Nicole shouted, clapping her hand over her eyes. 

Waverly spun around, _still_ screaming, and smacked into the door frame in an attempt to leave the room. “Ow!” She flung herself out the door and slid down the wall outside of the dorm, her eyes still closed and the image of Jeremy’s bare ass seared into her brain for what was probably the foreseeable future.

“What t’e  _ fuck  _ is wrong with ya, Robin?” Nicole groaned, her hand still over her eyes. “Ya bloody  _ knew  _ we were comin’ ‘ere so I could fuckin’ change!” 

Robin yanked a spare blanket over them and tilted his head back to glare at Nicole. “We were gettin’ ready ta get ready ‘n den we weren’t!”

“I ain’t give a  _ fuck,  _ ya  _ bloody slag!  _ God, can ya keep it in yer pants for one  _ fuckin’  _ minute?” 

“It was Jer’s idea!” 

“That’s true,” Jeremy agreed from under the blanket that had gotten thrown over his head. 

Nicole shook her head, pulling her hand from her face to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Ya’ve got like four minutes ta make sure both o’ ya are clothed.”

“Make it six,” Jeremy urged.

“I ain’t in a bargaining type ‘o mood right now, Jeremy,” she grumbled.

“Please?” he begged. 

She wrinkled her nose in disgust and muttered some kind of agreement before leaving the dorm and slamming the door behind her.

\- 

Jeremy slapped Robin’s thigh and wigged his butt a little. ‘Babu…”

Robin smirked, grabbing Jeremy’s ass again and taking him in his mouth. Jeremy groaned, resting his forehead against Robin’s leg and letting the orgasm he’d lost due to the interruption build again. 

“Fuck, Robin, fuck,” he moaned, bucking his hips as much as Robin’s tight grip on him would allow and feeling Robin swallow him down. Jeremy's legs shook as he came into the warmth of Robin’s mouth, grinding his hips and moaning loudly, sure that Nicole and Waverly could hear them from outside.

When Robin pulled off, he left a trail of kisses up Jeremy’s thigh and one big hickey on his ass cheek. Jeremy groaned as he rolled off of Robin and wrapped himself tightly in the blanket. Robin forced himself to sit up and shot Jeremy a satisfied smile. “I’m glad dat dey suggested dat.” 

“I’m sure you are,” Jeremy teased, leaning forward and kissing Robin, tasting himself on his lips. “I am, too.”

-

Robin crawled off the bed and Jeremy stared unashamedly at his naked body as he searched for something to put on. He threw Jeremy’s underwear onto the bed along with his jeans that he’d taken off before his nap. 

“I’ll let you and Nicole get ready while I run upstairs,” he said, pulling his underwear on under the blanket. 

Robin frowned. “But what ‘bout-” 

“I haven’t seen Champ since Monday.”

“Couldn’t dat mean dat he’s jus’ been in yer dorm?”

Jeremy shrugged, standing up so he could jump into his jeans. “Champ’s not the kind of guy to just hang around campus during a break.”

“I guess dat’s fair. Take Waverly with ya at least.” 

“If she’s alright with being around me after seeing my dick in your mouth,” he chuckled, kissing Robin’s cheek and grabbing his things off the night stand. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

He opened the door and smiled sheepishly at an angry and uncomfortable Nicole and Waverly. 

“Ya done munchin’ each other’s dicks?” Nicole asked, but she’d pushed past him and into the dorm before he could answer.

He caught Waverly’s arm before she could follow. “Come to my dorm with me.”

“Did you wash your hands?” she asked, shaking him off of her with a hitch of her lip.

“Nope, c’mon,” he mumbled, grabbing her again and tugging her towards the elevator.

Waverly grimaced and brushed off the sleeve of her too tight and too low cut long sleeve shirt. “Ew.”

“You’ve got hickeys on your boobs,” Jeremy observed, stepping into the elevators.

She looked down at the several dark marks visible just above the neckline of her shirt and instinctively covered herself. “So? You probably do too.”

“I definitely do not,” Jeremy chuckled. “I like to keep my hickeys at a strict collarbone and above level.” 

“I’ve seen Robin shirtless more than once in the last month and I can promise you that that is not true,” she scoffed.

“I said that I keep  _ my  _ hickeys above the collarbone. I never said Robin does. He keeps his at an anywhere I can reach level.”

Waverly’s face contorted in another level of disgust. “One, ew again. Two, that just brought back bad memories from when I walked in on you and Robin participating in unspeakable acts literally  _ minutes  _ ago.” 

Jeremy smirked at her. “Unspeakable for you, so good it leaves me speechless on my end- yeah, I know.  _ Ew,” _ he mocked before she could say anything. 

“So…” she trailed, watching the elevator numbers move from the third to the fourth floor. “That looked like a very…  _ boyfriend-esque _ position you two were doing in there.”

“Did it?” Jeremy asked with a grin. “That could possibly be because I was doing that with my boyfriend, but-”

“Oh my god, he asked you out?” Waverly screeched so loud that Jeremy covered his ears while she bounced around the elevator. “When? Where? How? Why didn’t you tell me? How do you feel? Tell me everything!” 

The elevator opened and she continued to bounce into the hallway and all the way down to Jeremy’s empty dorm. “Yesterday, in the alley we met in, with a bouquet -this one, specifically-” He grabbed the bouquet that he’d put on his bookshelf when he’d come to his room the day before. “-and a massive stuffed frog. I didn’t tell you because I haven’t seen you.”

“And?” she asked, looking over his shoulder as he dug around his closet for something somewhat nice to wear to the campus pub. “How do you feel? Besides horny, obviously.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes and pulled out a plain white t shirt. “I feel… happy. Happier than I’ve been in a really long time.”

Waverly’s face broke into a wide smile and she forced him into a tight hug. “I’m really happy now!- Oh boy, maybe put on some cologne, you smell like sex.”

“You mean  _ smell pretty?” _ Jeremy snorted. 

“Does Robin say that, too?” she laughed. “Nic won’t call it anything else.”

Jeremy pulled out a pair of tight black jeans and slipped into the bathroom. “It’s cute, isn’t it? All the little things that they say?”

“It makes me so happy,” Waverly agreed, leaning against the wall outside the door. “She makes me so happy.”

“I can’t believe that we ended up with the two hot foreign exchange students.” 

“The two nerds on campus that are a year younger than everyone else in our year and are almost completely uncultured on anything to do with relationships? Yeah, I’d consider us pretty lucky.”

“I mean, come on! You ran into Nicole in a library and discovered your sexuality the second she said  _ Jaysus fuck,” _ he said, mocking Nicole’s accent. “The first thing Robin ever said to me was in a Brooklyn accent and I almost shat myself because I thought he was gonna beat said shit out of me.”

Waverly laughed, “Now I’ve got hickeys  _ she _ left on me and he does a lot of other shit to you apparently.” 

Jeremy sprayed some of Robin’s favorite cologne on, grabbed a jean jacket with a fluffy white collar, and emerged from the bathroom with a smile on his face. “I really thought that I was going to graduate college without dating anyone. I was  _ hoping  _ for it actually. ‘Cause I didn’t wanna put my classes on the line for  _ some guy.” _

“But Robin’s not  _ some guy _ , is he?” Waverly asked, sitting next to Jeremy at the end of the bed while he put on his shoes. 

“He’s the best thing that could have ever happened to me here, Waves.”

“Oh my god, can we have a double Irish wedding?” Waverly asked, clapping her hands together. “Oh, that would be so fun!”

Jeremy collected the rest of his things and opened the door. “Only if it’s actually in Ireland.”

“Obviously!” she agreed. 

When they got back to Robin and Nicole’s dorm, they were still going on about the fake Irish wedding. Jeremy pushed the door open and both of their jaws dropped. 

Nicole was in the process of slicking back her hair in the mirror hanging from the closet door and Robin was tucking in a tight black turtleneck into equally tight slacks. 

“Holy shit,” Jeremy breathed.

“I agree,” Waverly sighed, slipping past him to get to Nicole.

He closed the door behind him and grabbed Robin’s arms. “Bathroom,” he said quickly.

“Why?” Robin asked, looking down for something wrong with his outfit. 

“I gotta kiss your- I mean, fix your… lips,” Jeremy muttered, dragging him into the bathroom. When he shut the door, Robin looked at him with an amused smirk, but Jeremy paid it no mind because he was too distracted wanting to kiss him. 

“Is dis you sayin’ dat ya like me outfit?” Robin asked, grinning into the kiss and setting Jeremy onto the bathroom counter. “‘Cause, fer t’e record, I like yer’s too.”

Jeremy kissed him roughly again, nipping and sucking at Robin’s lips but not daring to touch his hair that it was obvious he’d spent more time on than he had his outfit. “You don’t have to pretend that you didn’t know that it makes your body look incredible. You look hot and you know it.”

“I jus’ like hearin’ ya say it,” Robin teased. “I plan me outfits on the basis o’ what’s gonna make ya wanna take dem off o’ me t’e most.” 

“This might be higher than the button up with the rolled up sleeves and suspenders…  _ maybe.” _

“‘N I haven’t even accessorized yet,” Robin teased, squeezing Jeremy’s ass before pulling away and looking around the bathroom drawers. He pulled out a silver chain and wrapped it around his neck, fastening it and then straightening it up. “How's dat look?”

Jeremy reached forward without warning and grabbed the chain, pulling Robin forward until their lips were smashed together. 

Robin took Jeremy’s hand before he could pull it away and laid it across his throat. “Choke me.”

Jeremy pulled away, wide eyed.  _ “No, _ Babu! I don’t wanna hurt you!”

“Ya ain’t gonna hurt me.”

“How do you know?” Jeremy huffed.

“‘Cause stronger men dan ya have had hands around me t’roat ‘n I’m still up ‘n kickin’.”

“Ew,” Jeremy grumbled, trying to push him away, but Robin planted his hands on either side of Jeremy’s thighs and smiled at him. “I just… I don’t trust it. It makes me nervous.”

“I know it does,” Robin sighed, patting his thighs. 

He pulled away and started digging around the drawers for something else. He pulled out a belt from one of the drawers and slid it around his waist, knowing full well that Jeremy was watching his every move. When he’d put that on and tightened it so that it accentuated his waist as much as possible, he took two diamond earrings off the counter and leaned close to the mirror Jeremy was leaning against so he could put them in.

“I never noticed you had your ears pierced,” Jeremy said, reaching up to touch the shell of Robin’s ear after he’d finished putting in one of the earrings. 

“I don’t wear anyting in ‘em most o’ t’e time. I only have ‘em pierced ‘cause Nic didn’t wanna go by herself when she got her’s done.”

“I like it. It’s edgy,” Jeremy said, catching Robin’s cheek flush a bit before he turned back to the mirror to adjust his already perfectly in place hair. “I feel underdressed compared to everyone else.”

Robin raised an eyebrow and looked over Jeremy’s outfit. It was true, next to Waverly’s low cut shirt and thigh high boots and Nicole’s nearly completely open button up, Jeremy looked tame. 

“Gimme one o’ yer leggies,” he said, pulling Jeremy’s foot into his hand so he could cuff the ankles of his jeans and then doing the same with the other leg. “Gayer. Good ankles.” 

Jeremy shook his head and jumped off the counter. “Thank you, Babu.”

Robin kissed Jeremy’s temple. “Yer welcome, Shorty.” 

They left the bathroom and found Nicole and Waverly putting an absurd amount of distance between themselves while Waverly smoothed her skirt and Nicole adjusted her shirt.

“Performing unspeakable acts?” Jeremy teased, moving to Alfred's cage to dig him out of the dirt he was buried under.

“At least you didn’t have to see either of our dicks,” Waverly countered. 

Nicole eyed him nervously while he sat Alfred on Robin’s bed and grabbed a box of mealworms out of one of the drawers. “What’s he gonna do with dose?”

Jeremy raised an eyebrow at her. “Eat them?”

“Can I feed him?” Robin asked hopefully.

“You can hold him while I feed him,” Jeremy suggested, picking the frog up and holding it out for Robin who took him eagerly and sat down on the bed. 

“Ya’ve never let me hold him before.”

Jeremy nodded, sitting down next to him and holding out a mealworm in the palm of his hand. “I’ve never let anyone hold him.”

Alfred’s tongue shot out of his mouth and he snatched the worm and adjusted in Robin’s hands. “Am I his second dad?”

Waverly smiled widely at Jeremy when he looked up to see if her or Nicole had heard what he’d said. “I guess so, yeah. You can’t hold him a lot though because the oil in our skin is bad for them.” 

“Okay,” Robin agreed. “Jus’ enough fer him ta know dat he’s me son. Ain’t dat right, Alfred?” he asked, holding the frog up closer to his face. “He agrees.”

“Do ya speak slimy bastard now, Robbie?” Nicole asked, clearly appalled by Robin holding Alfred up so close to his face. 

Robin placed Alfred back in his cage. “He ain’t slimy, Nic. If ya just gave him a chance, ya’d see dat he ain’t dat bad.”

“I’d rather not, t’anks.” 

Jeremy checked his watch and tugged the box full of liquor out from under Robin’s bed. “Pregame?”

Robin snaked an arm around Jeremy’s waist and smirked. “I’ve taught ya well, Shorty.” 

**9:34 PM**

With everyone buzzed and giddy with excitement, they started their trek across campus. Robin and Nicole walked a bit behind Waverly and Jeremy in an attempt to keep an eye out for any wandering members of the Rat Pack. 

“-Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Boron, Beryllium, Lithium, Helium, Hydrogen,” Jeremy rambled off in one breath. 

“Impressive,” Waverly said. “Can you do it forwards too?”

Jeremy took a deep breath. “Hydrogen-”

“No more elements!” Nicole groaned. “No more!” 

Jeremy looked back at her. “What do you have against me reciting the entire Periodic Table backwards?”

“Makes me tink ‘bout learnin’, and learnin’ on break makes me ears bleed.” 

Robin shrugged. “I t’ought it was cute.” 

“Yeah, but ya also tink it’s cute dat he’s got a favorite element.”

“What’s his favorite-” Waverly started.

“Plutonium,” Robin answered before she could finish. “‘Cause dat’s part o’ what Kryptonite would be made of ‘n he don’t like Superman very much.”

Jeremy turned to face him. “You can talk elements to me any day.”

“Ew,” Waverly and Nicole both groaned.

“Gladly,” Robin said, raking his eyes down Jeremy’s body. 

“Ew!” they groaned again, shaking their heads. 

“Where are you going?” Waverly asked as Robin started in a different direction than her, and Jeremy and Nicole went to follow him. “The pub is this way.”

He shrugged. “Did I forget ta mention dat’s not t’e pub we’re goin’ to? Whoops.”

“Where’re we going then?” Waverly asked, hurrying to catch up to them. 

“Just ‘round t’e corner,” Robin said, pointing to the busy street off campus. “Not dat far.”

Jeremy followed them around the corner and a thought dawned on him when he looked at the street full of darkened shops and 24 hour diners. “I know where we’re going.”

“Do ya now?” Robin asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, Fish and Levi got their first fake IDs to go to the bar down here,” he explained. “They wanted me to come so I could experience a ‘glory hole’, but I decided I’d rather not get AIDs by sticking my dick in a stall wall, so I stayed home. Also, I found it morally wrong to use my fake ID so I didn’t… well, most of the time.”

Robin raised an eyebrow. “Ya’ll have ta tell me ‘bout dose times later den.”

Jeremy smirked. “You’re gonna have to get me really drunk to resurface those memories.”

“Dat sounds like a challenge.” 

“That sounds like a good way to give Jeremy alcohol poisoning,” Waverly corrected, scanning the street for whatever bar they were going to. 

“Ya look awfully nervous, love,” Nicole mumbled, rubbing Waverly’s back for a moment. 

“I’m a  _ planner.  _ I like to know plans before they're in the process of happening and I’ve  _ also  _ been under the impression that we were going to the campus pub-” She let out a groan as she looked towards Nicole. “God, you look really hot,” she groaned, eyes flickering to Nicole’s cleavage before shaking her head and continuing. “And this is a place that Fish and Levi used to go, which, no offense, Jeremy, I don’t trust in the slightest.” 

“They still go here on a regular basis, actually,” Jeremy said, as if that was something that would reassure her. 

“Robbie trusts it, so I trust it too. Does dat make ya feel better?” Nicole asked her.

“No! Because I’m now the only one who has no idea where we’re- oh my god.” 

Everyone paused on the sidewalk, looking across the street at a very,  _ very _ tall woman with an incredible amount of blonde hair bouncing behind her as she walked with such confidence down the sidewalk in at least seven inch heels and a bubblegum pink latex dress that barely extended past her butt. 

She turned, as though sensing that there were four sets of eyes on her, and smiled, her lips the same bubblegum pink as her dress. Before any of them could react, she turned to the building she’d stopped in front of and slipped into the front door, showing off a flash of different colored lights for only a second. 

“Welcome ta Stride,” Robin said, gesturing to the old brick building with a rundown sign displaying ‘Stride’ in big block letters. 

“Uh, Robbie,” Nicole started slowly. “Ya know dat I trust yer judgement ‘n all, but where t’e  _ feck  _ are we?” 

Robin seemed to ignore her, glancing at the nearly empty street before hurrying across it, the other three following closely behind. He paused for only a moment before tugging the door open and holding it for the others. 

Inside the door was a long, dark hallway. The walls were painted black and sprayed with a sparse covering of glitter that caught the light as it bounced around, casting purple and blue shadows as they walked. 

At the end of the hallway where the light was coming from, they turned a corner and all of them paused, awestruck by what they were looking at. It was another blackened hallway, but this one was lit up and filled with a line of chattering people. Some of the occupants glanced at the new arrivals and smiled or waved, but other’s paid them no mind as they groped and kissed their partner or  _ partners _ in some cases. Every gender combination they could think of was on display right in front of their eyes. 

“Is this a gay bar?” Waverly whispered, grabbing Nicole’s arm and staring down the line of people in some of the most extreme and extravagant outfits any of them had ever seen. “I didn’t think these were real.” 

“It’s actually super straight,” Robin chuckled, moving forward to join the line of people waiting to have their IDs checked before they could go into the room that connected to the hallway. 

Waverly glared at him, following him and Jeremy into the line with Nicole bringing up the rear. “Someone could have told me this is where we were going. I would have dressed more…  _ appropriately.” _

“Ya look fine, sweetheart!” said a deep voice from in front of them. They turned to find the women from outside pulling out of a conversation with another lady with big heels and even bigger hair. “I’m Lucy Furr,” she greeted in the same shockingly low voice. “Calgary’s most famous drag queen.” 

“Most famous, huh?” said the lady she’d been talking to in an equally, if not deeper voice. “Then why do you still have to wait in line to get to your gigs?”

Lucy shot her a sour look. “Shut it, Dolly.” She turned back to the four of them, smiling sweetly and holding out her hand, decorated with large rings and bangles along with ridiculously long fake nails that could easily put someone’s eye out. Robin glanced at the others before taking it, obviously trying to pretend that he wasn’t caught off guard when Lucy raised his hand to her mouth and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. “Lovely to meet you all.”

“Ya- ya too, love,” Robin stammered, looking down at the pink lipstick stain on his hand. 

“Ooh, cute accent!” Dolly said, stepping forward and running a hand down Robin’s jawline. “Where you from?” 

“Ireland,” Nicole spoke up before Robin could. 

The queens looked towards her and smiled. “Two Irish daddies, huh? Sexy.” 

“ _ Our _ Irish daddies, actually,” Jeremy grumbled, stepping slightly in front of Robin and glancing up at him. Waverly nodded in agreement, though scrunching her face in disgust as she snaked her arms around Nicole’s waist. 

“Protective, are we?” Dolly asked, backing up a little and raising her hands. “Our bad.”

Robin grinned down at him, mouthing ‘jealous’ before wrapping an arm across Jeremy’s chest and pulling him into his front. 

“They’re cute though, aren’t they, Dolly?” Lucy asked, looking between the two couples. “I miss being young and gay.” 

“You’re still young!” Dolly argued, slapping Lucy’s arm.  _ “And _ gay!” 

“You’re just saying that because you’re older than me and you know it,” she scoffed.

“Age is just a number, babe.”

Slowly, the line moved forward and they grew close enough to see what was beyond the hallway they were in. It seemed to be a large, circular room with an extensive bar and an even more extensive and packed dance floor. 

“I like bein’ able ta have me arm ‘round ya in public,” Nicole admitted, looking down at Waverly. “Makes me feel normal.”

“We  _ are _ normal,” Jeremy told her. “This is our normal.”

The people in front of Dolly and Lucy were granted permission by the way too hot bouncer and he looked up at them. “Have a good night, ladies.”

“Thank you, BD,” Lucy said, patting his massive bicep. 

Dolly looked over her shoulder at them. “It stands for Big Dick!” she stage-whispered.

“Night, cuties! Have the time of your lives!” Lucy called before the two disappeared through the crowded dance floor.

BD looked them all over and raised an eyebrow. “First time here?”

“How’d ya guess?” Robin asked, fishing his wallet out of his pocket.

“Shorty over here looks like he’s about to explode from sensory overload,” he said, gesturing to Jeremy. 

“I’m not even the shortest!” Jeremy whined, glaring at Waverly. 

She smiled, pulling Nicole’s wallet out of the back pocket of her jeans to find her ID that she had shoved in there. “If the shoe fits.”

“You’ve got baby feet!” he grumbled. 

The bouncer took Robin’s ID first. “Irish  _ and  _ gay, huh? Quite the combo.”

Robin grinned, taking his ID back and letting BD stamp the word Stride across his hand. “I try me best, mate.” 

Jeremy handed him his ID next and BD raised an eyebrow. “Not even nineteen yet,” he tsked, glancing up at the way Robin wrapped an arm around him. “And you’ve got a thing for older men, I see. He’s almost four years older than you, you know?”

“Oddly enough, I’d figured that out for myself already,” he snapped, snatching his ID back when he’d gotten the stamp as well.

“Just so ya know, if you come back on your birthday, the ladies upstairs will sing to you,” BD smirked. 

Jeremy shrugged, leaning back into Robin’s chest. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been told Lucifer’s gonna sing for me.”

BD seemed a bit taken aback by that but quickly turned to Waverly. “Alright, let’s see if you’re 12 or not.”

“Aye!” Nicole huffed. “I ain’t no bloody pedophile, mate!” 

He put his hands up in defense and checked Waverly’s ID. “You’re older than him?” he gasped, pointing at a glaring Jeremy.

“It’s only by two months, calm down,” Jeremy grumbled. “Mind doing your job a little faster? You’re holding up the line.”

Robin snorted a laugh and kissed Jeremy’s cheek. “I like it when yer feisty like that.”

“Ew!” Waverly, Nicole,  _ and _ BD groaned, though BD did get past Nicole’s ID and stamping without any small talk. 

“Enjoy your evening, kids,” he called as they all made their way into the crowded bar. 

“What should we do?” Waverly called over the music that was significantly louder outside of the hallway.

“I vote fer get drunk,” Nicole said, looking around at all of the people around them

"Dat's 'cause yer bloody  _ Irish,  _ Corporal," Robin told her, though he smirked. "But I second dat." 

Jeremy nodded and Waverly followed when they all started towards the long bar that covers a quarter of the visible wall. They took four seats in front of a bartender with a glittery name tag that read ‘Corinne’ in pink letters. 

“What can I start you guys out with?” she asked, leaning on the counter and showing off her chest tattoos and full sleeves. 

“Guinness,” Nicole and Robin both said after glancing at the taps labeled with different kinds of beers behind her. 

Waverly scanned the board covered in different drink options. “Appletini!”

Nicole smiled at her. “Dat’s cute.”

“It tastes good and it’ll get me very drunk very fast.”

Jeremy looked at Robin rather than the board. “What should I get?”

“Get a dacki,” he suggested.

“A what?” he asked, scanning the board for whatever Robin was talking about. “You mean a daiquiri?”

“Dat’s what I said,” Robin said, taking his glass of Guiness from Corinne. “Dacki.”

“Dackri,” Nicole tried to correct.

“No,” Waverly giggled. “Daiquiri.”

"Dat's what we said!" Robin argued. “‘N look, dey have a nanner flavored one.”

Jeremy read the options again. “What about strawberry?” 

“Ain’t dat one pink?” Robin asked with a grimace

“I mean…” Jeremy trailed, his face flushing. “Banana’s fine.” 

"Robin Jett, if you are putting a gender label on a  _ drink, _ I'm kicking you out," Waverly yelled over the music. 

"Yeah,  _ Robin,"  _ Nicole said with a grin over the rim of her Guinness.

Robin frowned and turned back to Jeremy. “Get whatever ya wanna get, baby. Strawberry dacki sounds good.” 

Corinne set Waverly’s appletini in front of her. “Strawberry daiquiri then?”

Jeremy nodded, giving Robin a small smile. "I'm gonna drink my pink drink and I'm gonna like it." 

“Ya better,” Robin said, leaning forward to kiss him softly. “I like bein’ able ta do dat in front o’ people.”

“Oo!” Waverly said, sipping her drink. “I wanna try!” 

“Do ya now?” Nicole asked with a shitty grin.

"Mhm." Waverly smiled as she cupped her jaw with both hands and pulled her towards her, pressing a kiss to her lips. She pressed their foreheads together for a second with a giggle. "That  _ is _ fun." 

Nicole hummed, pulling back after giving her thigh a squeeze. 

Corinne set a glass of a bright pink drink in front of Jeremy and he glanced at Robin. Robin leaned in to look at it closer. “Can I taste t’e dacki?” 

"Only if you can say it right,” Jeremy teased. 

Robin stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. “I am sayin’ it right!”

“I know you are,” Jeremy agreed, pushing the drink towards him. “Just like how you say pumpkin.” 

“A punking dacki would be good,” Robin said, sipping on Jeremy’s drink and shaking his head around. “I take back everyting I said, dat’s gonna fuck ya up.” 

Nicole shook her head and held up her beer. “I say we make a toast.” 

“To what?” Waverly asked.

“Ta a night where we don’t have ta hide ourselves. Our  _ real _ selves. We get ta be us and we get ta do it together,” she said, not taking her eyes off of Waverly for a moment as she spoke.

“I like that,” Jeremy said, raising his glass as well and clinking it with hers.

Robin and Waverly added their glasses to the clink. “Ta bein’ us,” Robin said.

“To being us.”

10:48 PM

"I'ma puck t'e both o' ya," Nicole grumbled. 

Her threat did nothing but make them laugh as they made their way to the dance floor, skirting around the edge of it so that they didn’t get sucked into the middle of any group grinding sessions. 

“I don’t dance,” Jeremy called over the music.

Robin shrugged. “Now ya do!” 

The music around them was so loud that it vibrated the floor under the feet. Every base drop made their teeth thrum. 

They found themselves wedge between a gay couple doing some kind of strange drance that looked almost choreographed and two girls swaying so gently to the heavy music that Jeremy was sure they were on something that he’d seen Levi take a couple times in high school. 

Robin’s hands found Jeremy’s waist and he pulled him close as he moved to the music. There was no way in hell to match anyone else in the crowd with the amount of erratic and crazy dances they were doing, so they did their own thing instead. 

Jeremy kept his body pressed against Robin’s, allowing himself not to worry about what the people around them might think about them. 

“Ya should definitely dance more often, Shorty,” Robin said against Jeremy’s ear. “Ya look real feckin’ cute.”

Before anything could leave Jeremy’s mouth, the DJ’s voice came over the speakers. “Lucy Furrs 11 o’clock preformance will be starting in five minutes. Free to watch, tips are greatly appreciated. Upstairs and to the right.”

The dance floor thinned significantly with this announcement. Robin raised an eyebrow at Jeremy. “Wanna go?”

Jeremy chewed his lip, watching at least two dozen people filling up a set of stairs he’d yet to notice. “That’s a lot of people.”

“But Lucy’s gonna sing fer us!” Robin urged, not planning to release his hold of Jeremy’s hips or put any distance between their bodies. “I’ll keep ya nice ‘n close, too.”

Jeremy thought on it for a moment before nodding and taking one of Robin’s hands. “Don’t let go.”

“I wouldn’t dream o’ it,” Robin said, leaning him up the stairs and following the crowd of people up the stairs and to the right. 

The room was half the size of the first floor. It had a pretty large stage with a strip that continued into the middle of the room so the performer could stand amongst the crowd.

Robin pulled Jeremy through the clusters of people preparing for the show so that they were standing right against that part of the stage. Jeremy shifted so that his back was against Robin’s chest once again.

The stage lights lit up and the curtain opened to reveal the same high heels and bubblegum pink dress from earlier graced the stage. “Hi babes! I’m Lucy Furr.”

The crowd burst into cheers as she strut down the stage and stopped almost right in front of Robin and Jeremy. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and music started to play as if on cue. 

Lucy lifted her hand and threw a handful of glitter to the people around her, covering Robin and Jeremy in it and making the crowd scream again. 

Her performance consisted of an insane dance to I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston and a lot more glitter that no one could find an origin location for. By the end of her song, they were yelling just as loud as the rest of the crowd and Robin even passed her a $10 tip which led to a very loud, “Thank you, Irish Daddy!” before she left the stage with a trail of glitter following behind her. 

Within minutes, almost every person had left the room besides them and a couple stragglers who seemed to not be completely aware of anything, let alone that the show had ended. 

Jeremy turned around and smiled up at Robin. “That was so exciting!”

“Ya thouht so?” asked a familiar deep voice as Lucy popped back out from behind the curtain and hopped off the stage to stand with them. The stragglers clapped a bit at her appearance, which didn’t draw the slightest bit of attention from Lucy, leading them to believe that it was something that happened quite regularly.

“I’ve never seen anything like that!” Jeremy told her.

Lucy laughed. “Oh, baby, you are  _ innocent! _ I saw my first drag show when I was 16 years old. The only reason I got in was ‘cause I gave the bouncer a blowjob on his smoke break.”

Robin ran a hand through Jeremy’s curls, shaking them a little and causing an avalanche of glitter to fall to his clothes. “It was quite a show, love,” he told her, shaking his head a little with a similar glittery effect. “Dis stuff ain’t legal where I’m from, ya know? Bein’ gay gets ya in a shite ton o’ trouble. Dat’s part o’ t’e reason I wanted ta come ta Canada. Free to at least exist. Not ta mention gettin’ ta see tings like dis.”

Lucy clutched her heart. “Wow, Irish Daddy! That’s really heartwarming, you know it? I’m glad I could be part of your Canadian experience!”

“It’s been a pleasure, Lucy,” he said. “We’ll have ta come back ‘n see another one o’ yer performances.”

“Please do!” Lucy pat both of their shoulders. “There’s always a seat for an Irishman and his lover when I’m on stage.”

“I need more alcohol,” Jeremy sighed, looking up at Robin. 

“I’m always down fer more drinkin’,” Robin agreed. “We’ll see ya ‘round.” 

Lucy waved, the bangles on her wrist jingling as she did so. “See ya, boys!”

**2:49 AM**

“I can’t believe dat dey left us dere.”

“I can,” Jeremy mumbled, leaning against the wall while Robin fumbled for his keys. “Prolly open. I doubt they locked it.” 

He was right. Robin pushed his dorm door open and gestured for Jeremy to go in before him. “Jeremys first.”

Jeremy chuckled, kissing Robin as he passed. “I found them!” he whispered, stopping just past the doorway and looking at Nicole and Waverly laying on the floor, Waverly with her head on the crotch of Nicole's partially undone jeans with no top on and Nicole with a hand in her hair, some buttons of her opened shirt scattered next to them.

“I imagine dat dey  _ almost  _ had a good night,” Robin said, shutting the door and immediately stripping off his shirt and tugging off his jeans. “Ya wanna take one of me hoodies ta sleep in?”

Jeremy nodded, accepting an oversized University of Dublin hoodie. He turned his back to Robin as he pulled off his jean jacket and white shirt that was sweaty and sporting a fresh stain from a sloppy bathroom blowjob. He forced the hoodie over his head and stumbled a little in his drunkenness, tripping over something on the floor and falling on top of the fluffy green body of Big Alfred. 

“Thank you for catching me,” he mumbled, patting the frog’s head and starting to kick off his shoes and jeans. “Babu, Big Alfred caught me!” 

Robin emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs with disco balls on them. “Dat was nice o’ him.” He hit the bedroom lights and stumbled to the spot between him and Nicole’s beds where Jeremy was still laying on the floor. “I’ll lay here with ya.”

“He’s comfy,” Jeremy said, adjusting so that Robin could share Big Alfred’s body. 

“He is,” Robin agreed, grabbing a blanket off his bed and pulling it over them. “Nighty night, Shorty.”

“Night night, Babu… Night Alfred.”

“‘N Big Alfred,” Robin added.

Jeremy nodded, shifting so that he was laying his head on Robin’s chest. “And Big Alfred.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh... :) Idk what this chapter was but Robin became a frog dad. 
> 
> *Monday was Queef's birthday, please add in a casual happy birthday to her in all of your comments*


	27. Gimme Yer Bloody Pumpkin 'n Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly so much happens in this chap I couldn't even start to explain it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahoy Mateys  
> Dat's right, Queef's back at it again with another 9k words fucked up emotional roller coaster of a chapter  
> SO LET'S GET TO IT  
> TW: Homophobia and harassment :D Also mentions of PENIS a lot so I'm sorry if that ain't ur jam, it pains my poor dyke eyes, too, trust me  
> Tread lightly my dudes  
> I've got a feeling that, oddly, you will actually enjoy this chap

**Wednesday, November 3rd, 1993, 5:09 PM**

Waverly wrapped her hands around her cup of apple cider, sipping on it as she scooted to walk closer to Nicole for some warmth. Nicole looked down at her, balling her fist at her side to resist the urge to wrap her arm around her since they were in the middle of the Harvest Fest. “Ya cold, Love?” 

“A little,” she mumbled, giving her a smile. “I’ll be ok.” 

“Ya sure? I’ll give ya-”

_ “No,”  _ she whined, pushing down the hem of her navy sweatshirt that she had grabbed. “Then you’ll be cold.” 

“Nah, I’ll-” 

_ “No, Bub.”  _

Nicole let out a heavy sigh, shoving her hands into the pockets of her navy and red plaid pants.  _ “Fine.”  _

Waverly pulled the fold of her tan beanie further over her ears as she looked up at her with a soft, rosy-cheeked smile. “Your heart’s too big.” 

Nicole blushed with a shake of her head. “. . . I jus’ don’t want me Waves freezin’.” 

She bumped her with a giggle. “‘Cause you’re my best baby.”

“Better be,” Nicole mumbled with some dimples. 

Waverly hummed into her cup, letting out a gasp and grabbing Nicole’s arm as she bounced a few times. “Bub, can we go to the pumpkin patch?”

She chuckled, dropping her hand to the small of her back for a second to lead her that way. “If ya don’t make no redhead jokes.”

“Aw, that’s not fair,” she pouted.

“Aye!” Nicole laughed. “I’ve got  _ one  _ request, dat’s all!” 

She let out a dramatic groan, finishing off her cider and dropping the cup into the trash can she passed.  _ “Fine,  _ but you’ve gotta carry the pumpkin if it’s too heavy for me.” 

“Ya mean I  _ am  _ gonna carry it jus’ so ya can watch me?” Nicole asked with a grin. 

“Yes,” Waverly confirmed with a nod. “That’s exactly what I mean.” 

“So dat means I ain’t get one den?”

She looked up at her sadly. “You wanna pumpkin, too?”

“Darlin’, it don’t matter,” Nicole assured softly, sliding her hand down her arm. “We can get as many as yer heart desires.”

“Really?” she asked in a whisper with heart eyes. 

Nicole nodded, leading them into the patch with a smile. “Really.” 

Waverly pouted her lip again. “I . . .” Her eyes caught something on the other side of the patch and she flapped her hand at it as she pulled at Nicole's sleeve. “There’s a carving booth!- Cole, can we each get one and carve it for each other?”

“If dat’s what ya wanna do, den o’ course we can, Love.” 

Waverly beamed up at her, the puffball on her beanie bouncing all over with the way she was wiggling around. She let out a happy squeal as she took off running towards the middle of the pumpkin patch where the largest ones were laid out. 

Nicole hung back for a second, watching her girlfriend for a moment as she frolicked around in search of the perfect pumpkin. She slowly shook her head with a heavy sigh. 

She had the most adorable girl in the entire world to call her own and she couldn't be any happier.

"Bub!" Waverly called out, turning back towards her. "C'mon!" 

Nicole chuckled, continuing forward and meeting her by the pumpkins she was looking at. "Ya findin' any contenders?" 

"I dunno," she mumbled, crossing her arms as she walked around the area they were standing and examining each pumpkin. "I need one that's kinda equally tall and wide for what I wanna carve.” 

“Whatdja wanna carve?” Nicole questioned. 

Waverly bumped her with her hip, holding a finger to her lips. “It’s a secret.” 

Nicole gasped softly, putting a finger to her lips as well. “A secret.” 

Waverly giggled, squatting down next to a couple of the pumpkins and turning them to get a closer look. “What kind do  _ you  _ want?”

“I dunno,” Nicole sighed, pushing one with her foot to look at it. “Jus’ a rounder one, I reckon.” 

“Ya reckon?” Waverly asked with a smirk. 

Nicole threw her a look, a tiny grin ghosting her lips. “I ain’t ever make a laugh o’ how  _ you  _ talk, Dear.” 

“Yes, you do,” she argued. “You mock me and make me sound like a dumb valley girl.” 

“‘Cause you actually, like,  _ do  _ talk like this,” Nicole said, doing  _ just  _ that. 

“No, I don’t!” she whined, pushing herself up off the ground. 

“Oh. My.  _ God!”  _ Nicole flopped one wrist down. “My name is  _ Waverly Earp,  _ and I’m, like,  _ super smart,  _ and I  _ love  _ animals, and my girlfriend’s name is Nicole, and she’s, like,  _ so hot,  _ like,  _ makes you need new underwear when you look at her hot-”  _

“Stop!” Waverly complained, giving her a shove and not realizing until Nicole’s back hit the ground that there had been a pumpkin right behind her foot. Nicole let out a groan, throwing her limbs out so she was laying like a starfish. Waverly dropped down beside her with wide, worried eyes, dropping her hand to her stomach. “Are you ok? I didn’t mean-”

“I’m fine,” Nicole chuckled, running her hand down her arm. “Probably deserved dat anyhow.” She looked towards the pumpkin she had tripped over, smiling as she sat up and pulled it into her lap. “Why, lookie ‘ere.” She held it up with a grin. “Equally tall ‘n wide. Jus’ what ya need.” 

Waverly gasped as she pulled the pumpkin into her lap, looking it over. “It’s  _ perfect!”  _ She clapped with a giggle. “Thank you for falling over my pumpkin.” 

Nicole laughed, grabbing Waverly’s hand when she stood and using it to pull herself up off the ground. “Anytime, Baby.”

**5:43 PM**

After finding Nicole’s pumpkin, the two had to wait in the line to pay for them before they were able to make their way back to the carving booth only to wait in  _ another  _ line, waiting for people to get out of there so they could have a spot to set up. 

Nicole set her pumpkin down on the table, grabbing one of the carving knives and spinning it around a few times. Waverly pushed her hand down with a nervous glare. “Calm down, Chucky.”

“Ya did  _ not  _ jus’ call me that,” Nicole huffed in offense. 

“It’s what you look like!” Waverly laughed. 

“Dat’s mighty rude, Wave. I ain’t no murderous doll.” 

“I mean, you might be, I dunno.”

Nicole pouted her lip as she tugged her sleeves up, shoving the knife into the top of the pumpkin to began to cut the top off. “I’m not.”

Waverly giggled, turning the side of her pumpkin towards her. "No peeking at my pumpkin." 

"Yes, Ma'am." 

"I'm  _ serious.  _ It's a surprise." 

"Alrigh', Love. I ain't gonna look." 

"Ok," Waverly mumbled with a small smile.

"Dat means ya ain't peekin' at mine either," Nicole said as she wiggled the top of her pumpkin off. 

"I won't." 

"M'kay." Nicole kept her eyes on Waverly, watching her pull at the stem with all her might to try and get the top off while paying her own pumpkin no mind as she reached inside to start pulling the guts out. 

The second her hand grabbed some of it, though, she immediately dropped it and gagged. She stumbled back as she flung her hand around to try and get everything off of it. 

_ "Jeez,  _ what?" Waverly asked with a cocked brow as Nicole wiped her hand off on her pants, bracing herself with the other hand wrapped around the middle pole of the large canopy they were under. 

_ "Nope,  _ can't-" Nicole shook her head and closed her eyes, covering her mouth with her wrist and almost gagging again. "Can't do dat." 

"Can't do what?" 

"Pull t'e- get t'e shite outta it." 

"Why?" Waverly asked with a little chuckle, walking over and looking down into her pumpkin. “What’s wrong with it?” 

“I jus’-” She shook her head again. “Baby, can ya please do dat fer me? I don’t- I can’t touch dat.” 

Waverly furrowed her brows and walked over to her, flicking her eyes around before brushing her thumb across her cheek when she saw no one was paying attention to them. “Hey . . . You’re pale as a ghost. What’s wrong?” 

Nicole swallowed, continuing to wipe her hand off on her pants. “Jus’ . . . gives me t’e heebie-jeebies.” 

Waverly saw the distant look in her eyes but decided not to comment on it. She really had no clue what was up with her at the moment, but she figured she was better off just letting it go. “Ok, Bub. I’ll do it, it’s ok.” 

“Ok,” Nicole said softly. “. . . T’anks.” 

Waverly gave her a soft smile and a nod as she turned away, walking over to Nicole’s pumpkin and beginning to pull all the seeds and guts out, dropping it into the bag the people had given them since they wanted to keep all the seeds. It took a few minutes, but she eventually got everything scooped out. She moved the bag over to her side and looked back at Nicole, nodding her back over. “All done.”

Nicole timidly walked back over and peeked into the pumpkin, letting out a breath of relief when she saw that it was completely cleaned out. “T’ank ya, Love.” She picked up the marker that was sitting there and pulled the cap off. “. . . So we’re makin’ ‘em fer each other, ya said?”

“Uh-huh,” Waverly confirmed with a smile as she started cleaning out her own pumpkin out. 

Nicole nodded, keeping her eyes towards her own pumpkin as she pivoted her body towards Waverly and twisted the side of the pumpkin towards herself so she wouldn’t be able to see what she was sketching onto it.  _ “Lovely.”  _

“I’m excited.”

“I’m scared.”

“Why?” Waverly said with furrowed brows. 

“‘Cause I ain’t got a  _ bit  _ o’ creativity in me body.”

“Aw, Cole, it’ll be great, I promise.”

Nicole let out a sigh, leaning forward onto the table as she made the first line with the marker. “If ya say so.” 

**6:01 PM**

_ “Ok,” _ Nicole breathed out, standing up straight and staring down at her pumpkin. “I’m done.” 

“Give me, like,  _ one _ minute,” Waverly said, the sleeves of her grey sweater with leaves on the arms now pulled to her elbows and her hair tied back in a ponytail.

“Take yer time. We ain’t in no rush.” 

“M’kay,” Waverly mumbled, fully concentrated on putting the finishing touches on her pumpkin. Nicole smiled as she watched her  _ woman on a mission  _ face, not even noticing her heart eyes until Waverly flung a hunk of pumpkin at her. “Quit looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” Nicole asked with a laugh. 

“Like . . .” She shook her head with a redness completely unrelated to the cold gracing her cheeks. “I can’t concentrate when you do that.” 

“Alrigh’ den, I ain’t gonna look at ya no more.” Nicole turned around and stared down at the ground with her hands on her hips, grinning when she felt tiny hands pawing at her back to try and turn her around.

_ “Noo.”  _

Nicole turned her head towards her with her eyes closed. “I ain’t lookin’.” 

“Bub,” Waverly whined, pulling at her sweatshirt. 

She turned back towards her with a chuckle, meeting her puppy dog eyes and pouty lip. “Didn’t ya say somethin’ ‘bout me not lookin’ at ya? I was jus’ obeyin’ yer wish.” 

“I take it back,” she mumbled. 

Nicole chuckled, leaning her hip against the edge of the table and crossing her arms. “Den go on. Lemme watch ya.” 

Waverly smiled softly, moving back over to her pumpkin and picking up one of the carving tools to give it the final touches, only taking a minute to do so. She set the tool down and tipped the pumpkin up at an angle to get a better look of it, giggling with a clap when she set it down. “All done!” 

“Aye?” Nicole glanced down at her pumpkin for a moment before looking back up at Waverly. “Show me yer’s first.” 

“Ok . . . Three, two, one-” She spun the pumpkin around, and Nicole’s face softened as she looked it over, walking closer with a smile.

It said  _ Bub’s Boo  _ in  _ near perfect _ calligraphy, the ‘Bub’ only half carved out and the ‘Boo’ completely carved in. There were also little leaves circling the words, some of them completely carved out and some not, all at different levels of deepness into the shell of the pumpkin.

“Dat’s bloody _ amazin’, _ Wave.” She looked up at her with deep dimples. “I love it.”

“Do you?” she questioned softly, clutching her hands to her chest. 

“Of course!” she assured. “Is dere anythin’ ya  _ can’t  _ do?” 

She giggled with a blush, flicking her eyes to Nicole’s pumpkin. “Lemme see yours.” 

Nicole pursed her lips, letting her shoulders sag a bit. “Mine’s ugly compared t’  _ that.”  _

“Nuh-uh.”

“Yea-huh,” she mumbled, walking back over to her own and looking down at it sadly. 

“I’m sure it’s  _ not  _ ugly, c’mon. Lemme see.” Nicole let a sigh, her face red with embarrassment as she slowly turned her pumpkin around. Her eyes shot wide at the gasp Waverly let out as she moved closer and grabbed it with a huge smile on her face. “Aw, Bubby, I  _ love  _ it!”

Nicole’s  _ attempt  _ had been a classic jack-o-lantern face with hearts for eyes and a big ol’ smile, but she had ended up with two  _ somewhat  _ heart shaped eyes that were significantly different sizes, a wonky triangle nose, and a crooked smile that almost took up the entire bottom half of the pumpkin. 

“It’s dumb,” she mumbled.

“No, it’s  _ not,”  _ Waverly huffed. “It’s  _ adorable.”  _

Nicole let out another grunt of disapproval, her cheeks even closer to the color of her hair than they had been before. “Ya’re jus’ sayin’ dat.” 

“No, I’m not,” she insisted, setting the pumpkin back on the table and glancing around at the canopy that was now only lit by the candles set up since it was getting dark. No one seemed to want to carve in the  _ almost  _ dark considering that there was only one other couple in there on the opposite end and no one else was in line. Waverly took a step closer and dropped her hands to Nicole’s hips, rubbing her thumbs on her sides and tipping her head with a smile. “Trust me, Baby. I love it.” 

“Ya promise?” Nicole asked softly.

“I promise,” Waverly answered, pulling away from her before she did something stupid, knowing that the sun wasn’t down  _ that  _ far yet. 

“Alrigh’,” Nicole sighed. “If ya say so. Mr. Hearty mus’ be damned cute den.” 

“He is!” she giggled, picking it up and smiling at it again before pressing a kiss to the front of it. “He’s my favorite.” 

Nicole chuckled as she picked up the one Waverly had carved and admired it some more. “Dis is goin’  _ right  _ on me window sill with a wee candle in it.” 

“Yea?” Waverly asked with a smile as they cleaned up their mess, bringing the two separate bags, the white one with the seeds and the black one with the pieces they cut out, up to the people running the booth and handing them over as they walked out. 

“Now what?” Nicole questioned, looking around at all the groups of people. Some of them were older adults that had just come to hang out. Some were parents with their kids. Some were wasted college kids.

Waverly was looking around as well, swallowing once she saw some members of The Rat Pack’s eyes ogling her from a picnic table a few yards away. “Uh . . . Maybe we could head back to the dorms?” She looked up at Nicole. “It’s getting colder and darker. I don’t wanna be out  _ too  _ late.” 

Nicole nodded, beginning to head in that direction. “I’ll walk ya up ta yer’s, yea?” 

“Uh, you’ll walk me  _ through the door  _ ‘cause I still wanna hang out with you.” 

She chuckled, “Alrigh’ den.” 

Waverly looked up at her with soft eyes as they got onto the sidewalk. “Can we continue our Disney ‘n cuddles marathon?”

“Whatever ya wanna do, Love. Up ta you.” 

“If they’re too boring for you we don’t have to watch them,” she mumbled. 

Nicole gasped, “Aye! How  _ dare  _ ya call Bambi  _ boring!” _

She giggled, bumping her as they walked. “They’re not boring to  _ me.”  _

“Why’d ya t’ink I’d not wanna watch ‘em?”

Waverly shrugged a little. “I dunno . . . Willa always makes fun of me when I talk about them. Says they’re for kids or whatever.”

“Ya, well, Willa can suck a nasty feckin’ willy,” Nicole grumbled. “Ain’t no  _ age limit  _ fer a Disney movie. Dat’s jus’ mad.” 

Waverly smiled again. “See,  _ this  _ is why . . .” She caught herself before she said something she shouldn’t have. “You’re  _ so  _ much better than Willa.” 

“Well, I’d bloody hope so,” Nicole chuckled, none the wiser to what she had been thinking.

They continued on across campus to get to the dorms, not in any kind of hurry whatsoever. They were simply enjoying one another’s company and chatting as they went. Nicole  _ was  _ trying to walk a little faster, though, because she could tell by the way Waverly was holding herself that she was freezing her butt off. 

“So are we watching Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, or One Hundred and One Dalmatians? I have all three.” 

“I don’t t’ink I’ve seen t’e doggy one,” Nicole said as they turned a corner. 

Waverly gasped loud, widening her eyes up at her. “You  _ haven’t?!”  _

She shook her head with a little laugh. “Well, don’t  _ shoot  _ me over it.” 

“I just might,” Waverly mumbled, and Nicole took a step away from her. “Noo.” Waverly grabbed her elbow and pulled her back over.  _ “Mine.”  _

“Yer’s?” 

“Mhm,” she smiled, hugging her arms around her pumpkin. “Which is why I’m  _ ashamed  _ you’ve never seen it.” 

“Aye, we’ll watch it tonight ta change dat. Problem solved.” 

_ “Oo!  _ Can I make popcorn this time?” Waverly asked excitedly.

“Whatever ya want, Love. I prefer me popcorn with lots o’ butter ‘n salt, t’ough, jus’ so ya know.”

Waverly pursed her lips. “Is vegan butter alright?”

“Dat’ll do jus’ fine, Baby.”

_ “Baby?” _ a deep voice echoed from the shadows of some trees outlining the edge of the Harvest Fest. 

Nicole felt the hair rise on the back of her neck as they both stopped and turned around. Three guys in varsity jackets that they recognized to be from The Rat Pack emerged, the tallest and widest one taking up the front of their ranks. “Is she your little girlfriend, Dyke?” he asked, smirking at his own words. 

Nicole glanced towards the wide-eyed Waverly next to her for a moment before looking back towards the trio in front of her with a locked jaw. “Fuck off, wouldja?” 

“Oo, Champ  _ was  _ right,” the second biggest with poofy blonde hair and a baby face chuckled with a cross of his arms. “They  _ are  _ lesbos.” 

“Well, I think that’s pretty clear,” the front one said, looking between the two behind him. “So . . . Hunter? Dylan? What’re we gonna do?” 

“How ‘bout leavin’ us be?” Nicole suggested, taking a step forward slightly to move half in front of Waverly. 

All three of the boys laughed, and Hunter cracked his meaty knuckles. “I don’t think so,  _ lesbos.” _

“Ya used dat one already, Mate. Sorry.” 

“Shut up,” he mumbled.

The one that the leader had called Dylan ran a hand over his bushy brown attempt at a beard and grinned, “I say we beat the mouthy butch bitch and, uh, try to  _ straighten out  _ Glasses. Whatdya think?” 

“I t’ink t’e fuck  _ not,”  _ Nicole scoffed. 

“Shut up,” the back two muttered before looking back towards their leader. 

He chuckled, looking right at Waverly and flicking his eyes up and down her stiffened body. “That sounds like a  _ great  _ idea.” 

“Who gets who, Blake?” Hunter asked, tipping his head as he looked towards his leader. “Or are we taking turns?”

_ “Cole,”  _ Waverly whispered, her terrified eyes searching for any answer of how they could get out of this on Nicole’s face. 

_ “Cole,”  _ they all mocked at once, looking towards one another and laughing when they realized they had all done it at the same time. 

Nicole snapped her head towards them with fire in her eyes. She took a step away from Waverly and put her hand out. “Gimme yer bloody pumpkin ‘n  _ run.”  _

_ “What?”  _ Waverly breathed out. 

Nicole let out a curse as she scooped the pumpkin out of her arms and pushed her in the other direction.  _ “Go.”  _

The boys immediately started for her when Waverly took off, but Nicole drew back and flung the pumpkins at the three, one after the other. The first nailed Blake in the stomach and sent him to the ground and the second hit Dylan, who tripped up Hunter on his way to the concrete. Nicole pivoted around and took off in a sprint, letting out a string of curses with the immediate burning she felt in her knee that hadn’t been prepared for this at all. 

She heard the shouting and the feet picking up behind them, but she ignored it as she quickly caught up to Waverly. _ “C'mon!" _

"I'm not  _ fucking  _ 10 feet tall like you, Nicole!" she groaned, daring to look behind her at the three running after them, pumpkin staining all of their fronts. She let out a heavy breath as she raised her speed to the max in an attempt to match Nicole's.

Their lead on the boys seemed to have aided them in their escape and the view of the dorms drew closer and closer. Nicole ripped the front door to the building open and waved Waverly in, rushing in after and running straight for the elevator. Waverly mashed the up button and thanked any and all entities that could be watching over her when the doors immediately opened. They both rushed in and she pressed the third floor button, jamming her finger into the close door button right as she saw the front door of the dorms fly open when The Rat Pack stormed in.  _ "Close, god damnit,"  _ she breathed out, watching the two metal doors meet within  _ seconds  _ of them getting to the elevator.  _ "Holy shit." _

Nicole kept her hands planted on the bar on the side of the elevator until the doors opened again, and they both sprinted out of it, running down the hallway to get to Waverly's dorm. Nicole shoved the door open and drug Waverly inside, locking the door and scanning her eyes around the room that was only illuminated by the light on the nightstand they always kept on. She rushed towards Waverly's desk and grabbed the chair, shoving the back under the door handle and stepped back, her chest still heaving as she looked towards her girlfriend. 

Waverly's eyes were still locked on the door as she trembled with her arms pulled right to her chest. Nicole walked towards her and pulled her into her arms. "Breathe," she mumbled as she hugged her tighter. "We're alrigh'."

Waverly wiggled away from her. "We gotta- We need to-" She grabbed Nicole's arm and pulled her over to her bed, pushing her down onto it. She flicked the nightstand lamp off and dropped down next to her, pulling the quilt over them and burying her face in her chest. 

"Wave . . ." Nicole pulled in a couple more heavy breaths. "Baby, we're fine." 

"You don't know that," Waverly whispered, raising her fearful eyes to her's. "They could- They might know where we are." 

"Dey don't," Nicole assured softly, gently pulling her fingers through the hair sticking out from under Waverly’s beanie. "Dey don't even know what floor we headed ta." 

"But . . ." The tears in Waverly's eyes threatened to spill, so Nicole flipped to her side and pulled her closer, hugging her as tightly to her chest as she could. "They might know wh-where I live, Nic. Th- They-" 

"Shh . . .  _ Relax. _ Don't work yerself up, Dear." Waverly continued to shake against her and she let out another breath, kicking the blanket off of herself before she got overheated. ". . . Ya want me ta call Dolls? Dat make ya feel better?" 

"Yea," she whispered, nodding against her neck. 

"Alrigh'," she mumbled, pulling her arms back and sitting up, flicking the light on the nightstand back on as she grabbed the phone. Waverly crawled into her lap and settled sideways, her fist clenched around a hunk of her sweatshirt. Nicole dialed the number and pulled the phone to her ear, closing her eyes as she listened to the ringing for a few seconds. 

"Dolls here," he answered. 

"Aye, Mate," Nicole mumbled. 

"Sup, Haught. Whatcha need?" 

"Me 'n Waves jus' got chased back to t'e dorms comin' home from Harvest Fest. By T'e Rat Pack or whatever t'e gobshites are called." 

_ "What?- _ Who was it?" 

Nicole heard him moving around already on the other side of the line, and she leaned back against the headboard, sliding her free hand up and down Waverly's back. "A  _ Blake, Hunter, 'n Dylan." _

"Blake Graff, Hunter McDuff, and Dylan Poindexter?" Dolls asked, the anger seeping through his voice.

"Somethin' o' dat sort probably. Can ya jus' . . . make sure dey're gone? Waves is bloody  _ petrified." _

"Mhm. I'm on it. I'll be there once I'm sure they're gone." 

"Alrigh'. I owe ya, Mate." 

"Nah, trust me. You’re doing me a favor by giving me a reason to kick them out again.” 

Nicole smiled a little, opening her eyes as she tapped her finger against the back of the phone. "Den I guess I'll see ya in a bit." 

"Call campus security if they do end up figuring out where you’re at." 

"Will do. T'anks again."

"No problem." 

Nicole pulled the phone from her ear when the line went dead, setting it back on the holder and giving Waverly's side a squeeze. "I needa take this off 'fore I pass out," she mumbled. 

Waverly sighed sadly as she moved off her lap, allowing Nicole to pull her sweatshirt off. She was going to toss it to the floor, but Waverly grabbed it instead and hugged it to her chest. Nicole raised her brows at her for a second but shrugged it off. "Dat works, too." She slowly bent her knee towards her and pulled her shoes off, tossing them off the bed before leaning back against the headboard again with a relieved breath. She unstuck her white tank top to her body, pulling it out from being tucked into her pants. "Much better." 

Waverly looked at her timidly, and Nicole grabbed her hand, pulling her to lean into her side and pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Ya're alrigh'." She pressed a few more kisses to her temple. "Ya need anythin', Love?" 

Waverly slowly shook her head, sliding her hand across her stomach a few times before crawling back into her lap. ". . . Just you." 

"Dat I can do," Nicole mumbled, hugging her arms around her and staring up at the ceiling, both of them trying to  _ finally  _ relax. 

**7:13 PM**

"Just call me if you guys need anything else. I don't see them coming back after how I just chewed their asses out but . . . You know the drill if they do." 

Nicole nodded and tapped her thumb against the door as Dolls turned away. "T'anks again, Mate." 

"You're welcome," he said with a soft smile. 

Nicole sighed and closed the door, wandering back over towards the bed with a heavy limp. Waverly sat up from watching the movie they had put on not long before with a furrowed brow. "You ok?" 

"I'll be fine," she mumbled, slowly sitting down on the edge of the bed and cupping her hand over her knee. 

"Bub," Waverly mumbled. She scooted off the bed and moved in front of her, dropping to her knees and pulling at her belt. 

"Wh-" Nicole stopped her hand. "Wave." 

"I just wanna see your knee," she mumbled, pushing her hand away. “Are you even supposed to be running on it?”

Nicole allowed her to pop her belt and pull it out, setting it down next to her before undoing her pants and getting her to lay back so she could get them down. “I’m ‘sposed ta warm it up first, stretchin’ ‘n shite. Didn’t really ‘ave t’e chance ta do dat.”

Waverly let out a sad sigh as she gently ran her fingers over her scarred knee, feeling the heat on it that wasn’t coming off her other. “I’m sorry, Baby.” 

“I’m sorry I t’rew t’e pumpkins.”

Waverly looked up at her, nudging her glasses up her nose as she smiled a little with a shake of her head. “It’s ok.” 

“Ya worked real hard on yer’s, t’ough,” she mumbled. 

“Hey . . .” Waverly pushed off the floor and crawled onto her lap, straddling her hips. “I care more about the fact that we’re both  _ safe.”  _ She gently pushed her hand through her hair as Nicole dropped a hand to her hip. “Ok?”

Nicole nodded, shrugging a little though. “I know . . . Still.” 

Waverly slipped her hand out of her hair, letting out a sigh as she looped her arms around her neck and leaned her head on her shoulder. “I’m sorry you’re hurting.” 

Nicole slipped her arms around her middle, squeezing her tight. “I’m sorry dey said all dat ta ya.”

Waverly pulled back from her, tipping her head a bit as she slid her hands to her shoulders. “You mean  _ us?”  _

Nicole watched what she was going to say get shot down by the look on Waverly’s face before the words even left her lips. She let out a sigh, slowly nodding. “Yea. Us.” 

Waverly let out a sigh, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before climbing off her lap and walking over to the mini fridge, pulling a bag of frozen kale out of the top part. She handed it to Nicole when she walked back over, climbing back up onto the bed. “T’ank ya, Love.” Nicole scooted back against the pillows and settled, stretching her legs out in front of her and letting Waverly lay down between them with her head on her chest. She set the bag on her knee, letting out a hiss as the cold touched first her skin but slowly relaxing when the throbbing of her leg dulled. 

“Better?” Waverly asked softly, looking up at her as Nicole rubbed circles into her back with her thumb. 

“Much better,” she hummed. “Ya calmed down now?”

Waverly let out a heavy sigh, looking back towards the TV across the room again. “I guess, yea.” 

Nicole moved her hand up to gently slide her fingers through her hair. “It’ll all be ok. We jus’ . . . gotta be more careful, I guess.”

Waverly looked up at her again with sad eyes, scooching up so her face could press into her neck. “I don’t wanna not be able to be myself with you,” she mumbled. 

“I know . . . I don’t either. Ain’t really a choice, t’ough.” 

Waverly sniffled a little, squeezing her shoulder. “. . . D’you think things’ll ever be different?” 

Nicole tipped her head down towards her, meeting her teary eyes with a small, hopeful smile. “One day, Love . . .” She looked back towards the TV with a sigh, “Let’s jus’ hope we make it ‘til den.”

**Thursday, November 4th, 1993, 8:41 PM**

Jeremy opened the door and smiled sheepishly at an angry and uncomfortable Nicole and Waverly who had most  _ definitely  _ heard everything else that had just happened in that room post-walking in on them. “Ya done munchin’ each other’s dicks?” Nicole asked as she stood up off the floor, pushing past him into the dorm before he could answer.

Robin gave her a toothy smile as she pulled the door shut behind her, and she glared at him. “Aye,” Robin mumbled. “I ain’t like it when ya look at me like dat.” 

“Yea, ya  _ nasty.  _ I ain’t like seein’ dicks out all over me dorm either, but  _ ‘ere we are!”  _

“I’m  _ sorry!”  _ Robin whined. “T’e two o’ ya got ‘ere a  _ whole  _ lot quicker dan we t’ought ya would.” 

Nicole let out a heavy sigh as she moved over to her closet and started sorting through it. “Jus’ . . . Don’t let it happen again. If ya know dere’s gonna be people here, keep it in yer feckin’ pants. Aye?” 

“Aye,” Robin mumbled in agreement. He walked closer to her as she pulled a pair of faded blue jeans out and threw them over her shoulder. “But, fer t’e record, I need ya ta be aware dat dere’s gonna be times I’ma see  _ yer  _ girlfriend nakey and times where yer gonna see  _ my  _ boyfriend nakey.” 

“Yea, yea, I got-” Nicole snapped her head towards him, seeing the knowing smirk on his lips. “D’ya say  _ boyfriend,  _ Mate?” 

“I sure did,” he confirmed. 

Nicole smiled, shifting her body towards him. “Ya finally asked ‘em?” 

“Does dat giant Alfred behind us tell ya how I did it?” 

Nicole chuckled and smacked his arm, turning back towards the closet to continue sorting through it. “I’m bloody happy fer ya, Robbie. He’s good fer ya.” 

“Babycakes is good fer ya, too. We both got our nerds ta keep us in line.” 

“Feckin’ right,” Nicole chuckled, pulling out a baggy grey and yellow striped long-sleeved shirt.

“Nuh-uh, ya ain’t wearin’ dat shite,” Robin huffed, shoving it back into the closet.

“Why not?”

_ “‘Cause, _ Corporal.” A large smirk pulled at his lips. “Ain’t no hidin’ yerself tonight. We’re headin’ off fer a gay bar.”

Nicole blinked at him for a few seconds. “. . . Yer messin’ with me, right?”

“No! I'm dead serious." He grabbed her good shoulder with a squeeze. "I've been ta  _ far  _ too many parties recently not bein' able to dance with me boy, 'n I know ya've been itchin' ta let go . . .  _ especially  _ after last night." Nicole clenched her jaw a little at the thought of it. "So I talked ta Ken 'n he told me 'bouta place not too far from 'ere dat barely has  _ any  _ issues. Ya know I wouldn't even  _ bother _ with anywhere I didn't trust." 

Nicole thought it over for a few seconds. She had never once been to a gay bar, so it wasn’t like she had an experience to go off of for her decision on the matter. Pros and cons to it were quickly flying through her head, but she shook them away, meeting Robin's hopeful eyes with a grin. "Well, I guess we're gettin' messy t'night, Jett." 

"Aye! Dat's t'e Nicole Haught I know!" He smacked her arm before moving around her and digging through his own side of the closet. 

Nicole furrowed her brows in contemplation as she flicked through her clothes, grinning slyly when she pulled out a loose, white and light blue vertical striped button-up. She walked over and threw her clothes onto the bed, wiggling out of her pants and pulling on the faded jeans that rested above her ankles. She pulled her shirt off and thought on it again before deciding on  _ fuck it  _ and taking her bra off as well. 

"Jaysus, Nic," Robin laughed, pulling his eyes from her as he moved over to his own bed and set his clothes on it. "Freein' t'e nip, huh?" 

"Quit lookin' at me tits, ya freak." 

"I ain't!"

"Mhm." 

Robin flipped her the bird over his shoulder, and Nicole chuckled, pulling the shirt on and buttoning it about halfway, stopping them right above the strap of her shoulder sleeve that she had pushed down to run below her chest. She walked over to the mirror on the closet door and grabbed her black eyelet belt, feeding it through the loops on her jeans before tucking her shirt in and fastening her pants. 

"Gay on a scale from bottom ta top?" 

Robin turned his head as he pulled his turtleneck on, grinning at her as he looked her over. "Waves ain't walkin' fer a week- make it two if ya fix up dat mess o' red on yer head." 

Nicole chuckled, heading into the bathroom and returning with a container of hair grease and some jewelry. She rolled her sleeves to her elbows before slipping the black safety pin earrings in and pushing a black and silver ring onto her pointer finger on her left hand. "Alrigh', Mr. Poet. Let's see what I can muster up 'ere."

She had just about completed styling her hair with most of the top parted on the side and thrown over to make it poofy in the front while still slicked back that way when the door opened again and in walked Jeremy and Waverly. 

“Holy shit,” Jeremy breathed out.

“I agree,” Waverly mumbled, slipping past him to get to Nicole as he grabbed Robin and drug him towards the bathroom. 

"Somethin' wrong, Love?" Nicole asked with a smirk as Waverly quickly approached her. 

"Not allowed," Waverly growled as she reached her, gripping her hands into the sides of her shirt and pulling her down to meet her lips. Nicole stumbled forward a step, dropping her hands to grip her hips as she continued walking them forward until Waverly's back pressed against the closed closet door. She let out a moan as she arched forward into her, sliding her hands down and grabbing at Nicole’s ass. 

“I still ain’t seein’ no problem,” Nicole mumbled against her mouth as she pressed her thumbs into the fronts of her hips. 

“You’re not allowed to get me worked up before we go somewhere where I can’t touch you,” she muttered, grabbing one of her hands and pushing it under the bottom of her  _ very  _ short skirt. 

“Yer in fer a shock, Darlin’,” Nicole said with a grin, pressing her fingers roughly against her. 

Waverly let out a sharp moan into her mouth, letting her head roll back against the closet. Nicole pressed her hand up against her jaw to keep it there as she dropped her mouth to her neck, pushing her underwear to the side and pressing two fingers into her. 

Waverly gripped her wrist and  _ almost  _ let out a cry, but Nicole slipped her hand up and covered her mouth, pulling her head back from her neck with a tip of her head. “Ya want ‘em ta bloody hear ya?” she asked with a raise of her brows. Waverly shook her head quickly, closing her eyes for a second as her hips jerked forward into her hand. “Den what ya screamin’ fer?” Waverly groaned in annoyance against her palm, and Nicole smirked as she pumped her wrist quicker, slipping her thumb up and circling it around to  _ really  _ make her have to hold back. 

Waverly dug her nails into her wrist, shooting her other hand out and fisting one of the sides of her shirt to pull her closer, feeling some more of the buttons pop open when she did so. She opened her eyes to meet Nicole’s, flicking her vision down to her chest that was now very visible.

She hadn’t  _ thought  _ seeing it for the first time would make her come on the spot, but it did.

Nicole squeezed her hand tighter over her mouth, chuckling as she dropped her mouth to her collarbone that was in view above her off the shoulder long sleeved shirt. “Dere’s one way ta do it,” she mumbled as she kissed and nipped at the bone, bringing her down before pulling her hand off her mouth and sliding it to her hip.

Waverly relaxed back against the door, looking up at her with lidded eyes and a crooked smile. “Mm.” 

“Dat was fast.”

“Better than not at all,” she smirked, flicking her eyes back down and tugging at her nipple. 

“Didja know I had dem?” Nicole asked, resting her arm above Waverly’s head and leaning some of her weight into it.

Waverly laughed a little and was going to say something corny, but she heard the sound of the doorknob. She choked back a gasp and pushed Nicole away, sliding her hand down her skirt to smooth it down as Jeremy and Robin came out of the bathroom.

“Performing unspeakable acts?” Jeremy teased, moving to Alfred's cage to dig him out of the dirt he was buried under as Nicole kept her back to them as she buttoned her shirt back up.

“At least you didn’t have to see either of our dicks,” Waverly countered with a cross of her arms. 

**10:03 PM**

“To being us.”

The four all clinked their glasses before sipping on their drinks and taking in the atmosphere around them. 

Jeremy shifted in his chair and gasped. “Oh my God, they  _ spin!” _

Everyone else looked down at their seats and swiveled them around to face the dance floor instead of the bar. 

“Wow,” Waverly breathed out, finally getting a good look at everything around them.

Towards the front of the room was a DJ stand with colorful lights beaming from it, and there were even more streaming down from the ceiling. The middle of the room was the dance floor that held an absurd amount of people in all states of clothed. From wearing strange outfits that looked like they could have belonged on another planet to the near naked. No matter what they were dressed in, no one on the dance floor was worried about much more than dancing with all the people around them. 

Only Robin and Nicole were tall enough to see the stairway and seating arrangement in the very back. Despite the fact that the lights were somewhat dimmed in this area, it was still obvious that the couches, tables, and chairs were very much in use by the multiple couples and groups making out and/or grinding on each other. 

"I didn't t'ink dere'd be dis many people 'ere," Nicole said as she looked around. "I ain't ever seen dis many homos 'n partial homos in one spot." 

She felt a pat on her leg and looked towards a proudly smiling Waverly. "Good inclusivity, Bub!"

She smiled with a blush on her cheeks. "I do try, Love." 

"How's it feel bein' t'e only one dat ain't wanna munch on a grand ol' Willy, Nic?" Robin asked with a grin. 

"Absofuckinlutely  _ marvelous,  _ Mate. Trust me, I wear me  _ no willy munchin’ _ label with  _ pride. _ "

“Don’t worry, Babu, I still wanna munch on willy,” Jeremy said, leaning on Robin a bit. “Only yours, though.”

“Awe,” Robin grinned, kissing him again. 

Waverly smiled, sliding off of her stool and onto Nicole's lap. She ran her thumbs across her cheeks with a shake of her head. "I would say I only want your willy, too, but you don't have one." 

"No, I do not," Nicole mumbled with a smile, setting her glass down and sliding her hands up her thighs. 

“Dat’s what ya t'ink,” Robin butt in. 

“She’s hiding a dick from you,” Jeremy whispered.

“A big one, too. Like, t'e size of 'er body. All 6'3 o' it." 

“Can you two leave?” Waverly begged, looking towards the two snickering nuisances. “We were trying to have a moment.”

“I love when my moments start with talking about dicks,” Jeremy said, downing the last of his daiquiri and hopping off his stool. “Let’s leave them to their dick talk.” 

"I'ma puck t'e both o' ya," Nicole grumbled, shooting them a hard glare as they stumbled off to be gay elsewhere. 

Waverly let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head as she met Nicole's eyes again. "Tipsy Jeremy is a lot." 

"Oh, so is Robbie." She swivelled her chair around, looking up at Corinne. "I'ma need some shots after all dat, Love. Gimme six . . ." She looked at Waverly, allowing her to pick. 

"Six shots of whiskey," she finished for her, not missing the smirk on Nicole's lips as she slid her hand back to give her ass a squeeze. 

"Alrighty." Corinne grabbed the glasses, setting them all out in front of them and pouring them up. "There ya go." 

"T'ank ya," Nicole sighed as she downed one, widening her eyes up at Waverly when she downed all three of her own, one right after the other. "Fuckin' 'ell." 

Waverly chased it with the rest of her apple drink thing that Nicole had already forgotten the name of, pressing a fruity kiss to her still slightly hanging open mouth. "I'm an Earp, Bub. Get used to it." She jumped off her lap and tapped the back of her wrist. "Tick tock, let's go. I wanna dance." 

Nicole stumbled off her chair and quickly drank down the rest of her Guinness, taking the two shots after it was gone and shaking her head around as she dropped some money on the counter. "I'm a'comin'." She grabbed Waverly's hand, allowing her to drag her into the mess of bodies.

**Friday, November 5th, 1993, 1:26 AM**

Waverly pressed back against Nicole, feeling her hands sliding all over her as the music and flashy lights filled the bar. They were, and had been, in their own little world, though, since they had drank more liquor that they knew they would regret when they came to the next day. Waverly tipped her head back against her chest, letting out a breath when she felt hot lips drop to her pulse point. One of Nicole's hands slid up her chest and wrapped around her throat to keep her where she wanted her as she sucked some dark marks into her skin.

She got to the point that made her squirm, and Waverly let out a moan as she pressed further back against her.  _ "Nic."  _

Nicole let out a growl, and Waverly turned around, sliding her nails down the arm still attached to her neck. Nicole slipped it around, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her into a kiss, feeling Waverly's hands balled up in her shirt again. "Yer a feckin' ride, Darlin'," Nicole muttered. 

Waverly hummed, just barely able to pull her words from the drunk Irish slur in the loud bar. "That mean I c'n ride you?" she asked with a smirk in just as much of a slur, if not more than Nicole’s. 

"Do whatever y' want t' me, Baby." 

_ "Whatever  _ I want?" 

"Mhm," Nicole hummed, not even sure if it was them swaying or the room at this point.  _ "Anythin'." _

"I'ma gonna do a lot t' you," she grinned. "'N your gonna let me 'cause ya-" Waverly hiccupped, and it was almost sobering somehow because she changed her word choice last second. "Ya like me." 

"I do like ya," Nicole agreed, dropping an opened mouth kiss to her lips. "I like ya a whole million bunches." 

Waverly pulled her into another kiss. "I like you a whole million bunches, too " 

"What's dat even mean?" Nicole asked with a giggle. 

Waverly hiccupped again with a laugh and a shake of her head. "I dunno." 

"Jus' a whole lotta bunches." 

"Like, if bunches were  _ sand,  _ it'd be  _ all  _ the baby pieces of sand  _ all _ over the planet. That's how much bunches."

_ "Woow,"  _ Nicole mumbled. "Dassa lotta bunches, Baby." 

"Duh. 'Cuz that's how much I lo-" 

Someone stumbling into Waverly from behind was her  _ second  _ drunk lifesaver. She fell against Nicole's chest, who simply wrapped her in a hug completely oblivious to what had happened since she had already long forgotten what they had been talking about. "Mm. Hiya, Sweetie." 

"Hi," Waverly giggled, propping her chin up on her chest. "You're  _ tall." _

Nicole gave her a drunken dimpled smile. "It be in me genes." 

"I wanna be in your jeans." 

"Oo," she smirked. "I wanna be in  _ yer _ not-jeans." She glanced down at what she was wearing. "Yer _ shorty skirt."  _

Waverly pulled out of her arms, dragging her by the wrist as she stumbled through the crowd. "That means _ home time,  _ Cole." __

**1:41 AM**

Waverly and Nicole surprisingly managed to keep their hands to themselves the entire stumble-fest back to the dorms, though they had gotten a little impatient the second that Waverly had fallen against Nicole's door and Nicole’s hips had pressed right against her ass when she had walked into her. 

Nicole rocked forward against her as she slipped and slid the key against the lock to try and shove it in. She let out an annoyed groan, cursing at it with every name under the sun before drawing her hips and snapping them forward against Waverly right as the key went in. "Dere," she breathed out, Waverly's eyes wide and glazed over as she stared back at her. "Go. In." Nicole pushed the door open and grabbed Waverly's hips, turning her and walking her back into the room. 

"Gimme your face." Waverly pulled at the collar of her shirt to force her into a kiss before pressing her back against the door. She slipped her hands down and wrapped her fingers around her belt, pulling from her mouth and meeting her eyes. 

"No more jeans," Nicole muttered, grabbing her jaw and leaning into another kiss. 

Waverly hummed against her, fumbling open her belt and undoing the jeans, pulling her off the door and turning her around. 

They made it about five or six steps forward before Nicole tripped on her pant leg and sent them both back to the floor, Waverly landing on top of her. Nicole let out a snort, and Waverly giggled, sitting up and pulling her shirt off. Hungry yet unfocused eyes traced over her bra covered chest, and she shed the bra, grinning when Nicole palmed at her chest for a moment.  _ "Boobs."  _

_ "Boobs,"  _ Waverly echoed, ripping Nicole's shirt open and dropping her mouth to a nipple before moving straight to the other. Nicole pushed her hand through her hair with a ragged breath, and Waverly continued kissing down her body, most of the time a hickey in her mouth's wake when it left an area. 

"Wave," Nicole groaned after a few seconds of nothing. She lifted her head to look down at her after a moment with no answer, smiling softly and pushing her hand through her hair. "Sleepy baby," she mumbled through a heavy slur, her brain not completely comprehending that Waverly had passed out with her head resting on its side above her crotch. 

It didn't matter, though, because she was right out with her within only a couple more seconds, putting an end to one of their best nights with the majority of it lost within their drunken hazes.

**11:29 AM**

Nicole’s eyes snapped open and she grabbed at the hand pulling at her shirt, not even feeling the wave of hangover hit her until the person spoke. 

“Ow,” Robin huffed. “Lemme go.” 

Nicole let out a grunt, letting go and throwing her arm across her eyes. “Bloody ‘ell.” 

“Mornin’ ta you, too,” Robin sighed. “I was jus’ tryna to put yer titties away.”

“Me  _ what?-”  _ Nicole looked down at herself, huffing as she closed her shirt up. She flicked her eyes down to Waverly, who was still completely unconscious and half-dressed with her face pressed against her crotch. “Dat’s a lot.” 

Robin let out a sigh, reaching onto Nicole’s bed and grabbing the blanket off of it. “I ain’t wanna see yer Babycakes titties no more either.” He leaned down and dropped the blanket over her, tucking it in a little bit. 

Waverly let out a whine, blinking her eyes half open and tugging gently at Robin’s wrist. “Robin,” she mumbled.

“Hey dere, Babycakes,” he said softly. 

“‘Mere,” she mumbled, closing her eyes as she pulled at his wrist again. 

“Whatdya want?” he asked with a chuckle as he sat down on the floor next to her, wearing nothing but his underwear. Waverly whined again, sliding both arms out from under the blanket as she rolled to her side in between Nicole’s legs and did some grabby hands for him. “I’d a  _ million  _ percent cuddle with ya any other time, but I ain’t when ya ain’t got no top on, Love.” 

“Noo,” she whined.

“C’mere.” Nicole reached down and grabbed her arms, pulling her up so she was able to snuggle into her chest. 

_ “Bub,” _ Waverly mumbled, smiling against her skin as she hugged one of her arms to her chest. 

Nicole wrapped her other arm around her, grabbing the blanket and pulling it up so it was covering both of them. “Mornin’, Baby.” 

“My head hurts.”

“Mm, mine does, too.” 

“Robin, your head hurt?” Waverly asked, opening her eyes some to look at him.

“A wee bit.”

She let out a grunt. “Not fair.”

Robin chuckled, sighing as he sat forward to pull the blanket up some more. “I really ain’t need ta see yer goods, Babycakes-” Robin fell forward onto the both of them with the force Waverly used to grab his arm and tug him forward. 

“Ow,” Nicole grumbled.

“Wave-”

“Shh. Cuddle pile,” she whispered, scooting over some on Nicole and forcing him to lay on the other side of her chest. She now hugged  _ his  _ arm to her chest, letting out a tired mumble that got lost in translation between her brain and her mouth. 

“Alrigh’ den, guess dis is happenin’.” Robin settled on Nicole, looking up at her with a smile. “Hiya, Nic.” 

“Hi,” she mumbled, dropping the arm that wasn’t wrapped around Waverly over her eyes again. 

“Babu?” They all looked towards the floor next to Robin when they heard Jeremy stir. “. . . Mm, morning, Big Alfred.”

“Mornin’,” Shorty,” Robin called. 

Jeremy groaned as he sat up to look at them. “My brain feels mushy- Why are you cuddling with Waverly?”

“I’m ‘ere too!” Nicole said, raising one of her arms. 

“Oh, hi, Nicole! Can I join your cuddle puddle?” 

“More cuddles!” Waverly giggled.

“I’ll second dat,” Robin agreed, holding out an arm for Jeremy.

Jeremy crawled towards them, taking Robin’s hand and laying down behind him. “I’m the big spoon.” 

Robin hummed, letting Jeremy wrap his arms around him. “I like bein’ a wee spoon every once ‘n a while.”

_ “Bottom,”  _ Nicole coughed.

“Am  _ feckin’  _ not, shut yer gob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was a rodeo  
> Hope ya liked it even though this was choppy as shit with like 10 different time jumps  
> Yell at us below!


	28. Did I Hear T’reesome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunited with some friends and foes and Robin drop kicks someone to another dimension.  
> Everyone thinks Robin's abusive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey...  
> Sorry we haven't posted in a month. It's pretty much only my fault. I've been working on another fic along with getting caught up on school work and stuff. In other news, I've written 20k on a wolfstar fic that probably won't be out by our next update because she's gonna be a hefty fic.  
> Hope you'll forgive me for making you wait for this shit storm.

**Thursday, November 11th, 1993 11:26 AM**

“What t’e fuck now?” Robin groaned, grabbing the phone for the third time since he’d gotten home from work less than an hour before. “What?” 

He glanced at Jeremy who was laying on his chest half-asleep while they watched some movie that Kennedy had loaned them after insisting that it was incredibly important for all mankind to view at some point in their lives. 

Jeremy tilted his head a little, looking at him with tired eyes. “Who is it?”

“It’s fer ya.” Robin handed him the phone and Jeremy frowned, sitting up in Robin’s lap and putting the phone to his ear. 

“Hiya Jer Bear,” Fish’s voice rang through the phone. 

“What?” Jeremy asked in almost the same annoyed tone that Robin had used. 

“Why are you both so grumpy?” he teased. “Trouble with the mister?” 

Jeremy shifted a little and looked at Robin. “Nope. I’m just tired of hearing your voice already.”

“Rude,” Fish grumbled, though Robin grinned at him. “Listen, I don’t want you to worry, because everything’s fine, but we really need you to meet us at Nina’s in half an hour. It’s urgent.” 

Nina’s was the family owned restaurant all the way around the corner from the boys’ home that all the high school kids would go to on dates and after hockey games. 

“That’s, like, a forty five minute walk and it’s fucking freezing outside.” 

Fish sighed into the phone and Levi’s voice could be heard from far away. “Well… can’t you just drive?” 

“My car broke down on the drive to the dorms on the first day of the semester,” Jeremy reminded. “And you know I don’t have the money to get it fixed.” 

“Ya have a car?” Robin asked, obviously confused at this new information. 

Jeremy nodded a little. “It’s in the parking lot outside.”

“Borrow Waverly’s then.”

“She’s asleep and I don’t wanna deal with waking her up,” Jeremy said. He frowned deeply as he thought about his options. “Can’t we just go to the campus diner.”

Fish said something with the receiver covered so that Jeremy couldn’t hear him before returning. “No, sorry. It’s gotta be Nina’s.” 

He groaned, running a hand through his hair. “I guess if you make it an hour, maybe we can make it.” 

“Sick, see you then. Remember, it’s important.” 

“Yeah, yeah.”

**12:32 PM**

“I’m gonna kill them both,” Jeremy groaned, crossing his arms. “They could have easily come and picked us up.” 

“Why didn’t ya suggest dat den?” Robin asked, tugging his gray beanie further over his ears. His cheeks were red with cold despite the sweater and ugly orange coat he was wearing. 

“I didn’t think about it!” Jeremy said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I can’t believe they’re late. It takes a couple minutes to drive here from their apartment.”

“Bold of you to assume we drove,” Levi grumbled, appearing from around the side of the building with Fish trailing behind me. 

Fish shook his head, pulling the door of the restaurant open for everyone. “I suggested that we should walk since you had to walk and now he won’t talk to me.”

Levi crossed his arms and stopped in front of the ‘Please Wait To Be Seated’ sign. “I don’t like the cold.”

_ “I don’t like the cold,” _ Jeremy mocked, shoving the side of Levi’s head. “The cold immobilizes me, you prick.”

“I didn’t think about that…” Levi sighed. 

“Probably because you were too busy thinking with your stomach,” Fish mumbled. 

“Shut up,” Jeremy grumbled, shoving Fish, too. “You didn’t think about it either.”

An older waitress approached them with her eyes down at her notepad, scribbling something down and mumbling to herself. 

“Hello, Nina,” Fish greeted, grinning at the surprised look on her smile lined face. 

“Oh my goodness!” she gasped, looking between Fish, Levi, and Jeremy. “Oh my! Look at you three!” She forced them all to hug her, a large smile never leaving her face. “You haven’t come see me in too long!” she scolded, slapping Jeremy’s arm.

“It was my idea,” Levi said. “I really wanted some of your famous chicken pot pie.”

“You told me this was urgent!” Jeremy groaned, shoving Levi again. 

Fish shook his head. “Food is always urgent to him.” 

Nina brought the boys to a table in the corner and set down four menus in front of them. “You three always took this table when you’d come in, you remember? Always. Now, what can I start you with to drink?”

Fish and Levi took a seat against the wall, facing the rest of the restaurant while Jeremy and Robin sat in front of them. 

“Raspberry tea,” Jeremy said, without glancing at the menu.

Fish nodded at this. “Same here.”

“Half raspberry, half lemonade,” Levi said. 

“Ew. You’re so gross,” Fish groaned. 

Nina looked at Robin. His face was still red from the cold, though it seemed to be enhanced from general awkwardness. He looked down at his menu quickly, searching for the drink options. 

“Coffee with honey,” Jeremy said, pulling his coat off and hanging it on the back of the chair. Nina nodded and left them to get their drinks. “They make everything super fresh here. The honey is locally sourced so you don’t have to worry about artificial sweeteners or anything.”

Robin smiled a little, tugging off his coat as well. “T’anks, Shorty.” 

“What are you getting, Robin?” Fish asked. 

“Uh… What are ya gonna get, Shorty?” he asked, scanning the menu. 

“Sweet Potato and curry soup,” Levi answered. 

“And a baked potato with agave butter, black beans, and bacon bits, because, fun fact, they’re vegan!” Fish added.

“He’s got a potato obsession.” 

Robin shrugged, running a hand up Jeremy’s thigh. “Dat’s why I like him.”

“Wow, thanks,” Jeremy deadpanned, though he couldn’t help but smile. 

“What else dey got fer spuds here?”

“I get the chicken and potato pot pie,” Levi said, licking his lips. “Fishy gets the potato soup.” 

“That’s really good,” Jeremy said, frowning. “It’s got milk and butter in it, though. I haven’t had it since I went vegan.” 

The dynamic at the table shifted suddenly and Robin glanced between the three. “What?” 

“Here’s your drinks!” Nina announced, breaking up the tension before anyone had the chance to answer him. “Raspberry, raspberry, raspberry and lemonade, and a coffee with honey.” She set each of their drinks in front of them and pulled out her notepad. “Did you decide on something to eat? Jeremy’s order is already in the kitchen.” 

Everyone rattled off their orders, Robin getting the pot pie, potato soup,  _ and  _ a baked potato just to try out his options, and Nina left for the kitchen again. 

“You’re never going to be able to eat all of that,” Levi said. “I’m a human garbage disposal and I couldn’t even manage it.” 

“Don’t test him…” Jeremy groaned.

Robin smirked at them. “I can out-eat everyone in Nic’s family combined. Dat’s eight kids ‘n her mum.” 

“What about her dad?” Jeremy asked. 

Robin’s eyes widened a bit and he shifted in his seat. “Why’d ya all get awkward when Jer brought up da tater soup ting?” 

“Why are you avoiding the question?” Fish raised a brow and crossed his arms, frowning at the uncomfortable look on Jeremy’s face. 

“Why’s no one wanna talk ‘bout Jer bein’ vegan?” 

“What’s wrong with Nic’s dad?”

“I ain’t da one ta ask ‘bout Nic’s pa. Dat’s her business,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Is dis ‘bout why ya never got ‘round ta tellin’ me why ya went vegan?”

Jeremy stirred his tea with his straw, obviously pretending that he hadn’t heard anything. He glanced up at Fish and he glanced at Levi. Levi rolled his eyes and looked back to Robin. “I think we should talk about something else.” 

Robin leaned forward to try and catch Jeremy’s eyes, but Jeremy was adamantly avoiding him. “Hey,” he sighed, taking Jeremy’s jaw and forcing him to meet his eyes. “Why won’t ya talk ta me ‘bout it?”

“Because people normally go vegan for environmentally conscious reasons, and I went vegan because I’m a pussy.”

“Jeremy,” Fish said warningly. “Stop it.” 

Levi nodded. “You do it for all the right reasons.”

“I do it because I don’t want to think about being force fed dead rats while I’m about to eat, which makes me a pussy,” Jeremy said quickly, immediately chewing his lip when he’d finished talking. “Can we please talk about something else?”

Robin froze, taken back by what Jeremy had finally admitted to him. Across the table, Fish was visibly uncomfortable and Levi was casting Robin a nasty glare. Jeremy was observing the table and picking at a spot on his wrist.

“Hey,” Robin said, grabbing one of his hands and rubbing his wrist with his thumb. “I ain’t gonna let ya do shite like dat anymore.” Jeremy tried to pull his arm back but Robin held onto it. “Jus’ ‘cause someting bad happened to ya ‘n dat’s the real reason ya stopped eatin’ animals, dat doesn’t mean ya did it fer t’e wrong reasons. I’ve learned more ‘bout t’e food I’m puttin’ in me in t’e last month from ya dan I did in ten years helpin’ at Nic’s family’s factory where dey package up meat. Someone who ain’t doin’ in fer t’e animals wouldn’t know all ‘bout GMOs and artificial flavors like ya do.” 

Jeremy’s lips turned up just slightly and he relaxed enough to lace his fingers with Robin’s. “Thanks, Babu.” 

“Anytime.” Robin looked back up across the table. Fish had relaxed into his seat and the glare on Levi’s face had melted into a smile. 

“Do you two remember when Nina caught you making out in that corner over there one night and then offered you free cake for embarrassing you?” Jeremy asked, pointing to a C shaped booth on the other side of the restaurant. “She thought the problem was that she’d ruined the moment, not that you were afraid she was gonna kick you out for being gay.” 

Levi snorted, “She’s so wholesome and unaware.” 

“It was your fault for leaving us there alone.”

“Sorry I had to pee!” Jeremy grumbled. “I couldn’t keep you two off of each other in high school. Especially junior year. That’s when Levi got his koi fish tattoo for you, right?” 

“You ask like you didn’t get a tattoo the same day.”

Jeremy shrugged. “I didn’t have someone getting hard at the thought of it and shoving me into broom closets to fuck me every thirty minutes.”

“Awe, poor horny Jeremy,” Fish teased. “All you wanted was for someone to say your tattoo was sexy and suck you off in a broom closet.”

“The first part may be true, but I promise that I wanted to stay as far away from those broom closets as possible when I found out what you did to each other in there.” 

Robin nudged him with his elbow. “I tink yer tattoo is sexy, Shorty.”

Jeremy's face turned a dark shade of red and Fish and Levi burst into laughter. “All your gay fantasies are coming true.”

“I’m gonna kill you both,” Jeremy grumbled, pushing his drink away from him when Nina approached the table with arms full of food. 

When they’d all been served their food, Robin looked up at them, his mouth full of potato as Jeremy had gotten so used to seeing. “So,” he started. “How old were ya when ya liked yer first guy? I was jus’ a wee lad. Maybe six.”

Fish nodded in agreement. “I was probably six, too. It was a kid in my class named Elliot who had blue eyes and wore a vest to school every day.” 

“Awe, that’s cute,” Jeremy laughed. “I was like eight, probably.”

“You were a late bloomer, though,” Levi added, dodging Jeremy’s attempt to hit him. “I’m allowed to say that because I was nine or older.”

Jeremy shook his head, taking a spoonful of soup and blowing on it. “Who was your first actual crush?”

“I know yours,” Fish chuckled, glancing at Robin’s amusement.

“Oh God…” Jeremy sighed. “I was  _ eleven.” _

“Until like,  _ last year!” _ Levi reminded. “You were so sure that he was gonna realize he was gay someday and just sweep you off your little feet.”

Fish snorted a laugh. “Jesse Wills, Jeremy’s first love.” 

Robin sipped his coffee and raised an amused brow at Jeremy. “Jesse Wills, aye? Let’s hear ‘bout him.”

“I’d rather not,” Jeremy grumbled, sipping his soup. 

“Why?” Levi asked. “‘Cause he never picked up on your awkward flirting.”

“Oh, I think he knew,” Fish countered. “He was just a year older than you and also  _ straight.” _

“That was never confirmed,” Jeremy sighed, tearing apart a roll. “He never had a girlfriend his entire time there.” 

Levi snorted, “Yeah, because he’s awkward and religious. Touching girls  _ or boys _ before marriage is a real no-no for Bible thumpers.”

“He wasn’t a Bible thumper,” Fish said, elbowing Levi in the side.

“Well…” Jeremy and Levi both trailed.

Levi turned to look at the euphoric look on Robin’s face as he shoved mashed potatoes into his mouth. “Doesn’t it bother you to hear about a guy that Jeremy wanted to bone for like six years?”

Robin shrugged, washing down his last heap of potatoes. “Not really. I trust Shorty.”

Jeremy's face burned red once again and he smiled down at his food while Fish and Levi both gagged. “Gross.”

“Sorry we’ve got a healthy relationship,” Jeremy said, rolling his eyes.

“You just love to point out that you’re in a relationship, don’t you?” Fish asked. 

Robin grinned a little. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’ happy ‘bout someting.”

“Oh my god,” Levi gasped, startling the whole table. 

“What?” Fish asked, squeezing Levi’s thigh under the table. “Are you alright?” 

“I just figured it out-” he said, staring at Robin with wide eyes. Levi leaned close to Fish’s ear and whispered something between laughs. 

Fish pulled away from him and joined him in staring at Robin before they both burst into laughter. “You’re right!”

“What’re dey laughin’ ‘bout?” Robin asked Jeremy, a concerned furrow in his brows.

“No idea...” Jeremy threw a bit of the roll he’d torn up at both of their faces. “Knock it off! What’s so funny?” 

“Ever since Robin joined the band, we’ve been trying to figure out why he looks  _ so _ familiar,” Levi explained. “Now Jeremy, I want you to imagine Christopher Robert here,” he gestured at Robin. “With nerd glasses and way more awkwardness. Who do you see?” 

Jeremy looked at him for a moment before gasping and turning away, covering his face with his hands and, in turn, sending Fish and Levi into another fit of laughter. “I hate you both.”

“Are we wrong?” 

Robin looked between the three and let out a groan when no one explained to him just what was so funny. “I wanna know what’s happenin’! Shorty-” He reached for Jeremy’s arm to turn him back around but Jeremy shook his head, still covering his face with his hands.

“I can’t look at you right now.”

“What’d I do?” 

“You see,” Levi said, still laughing so hard he was hardly breathing. “It seems Jer Bear here has a type. And said type is tall boys with brown hair, green eyes, and a nice build. Maybe wear sweaters and cardigans frequently.” 

“I’m gonna kill you,” Jeremy whined, throwing an entire roll at Levi’s head.  _ “Shut up.” _

“Nah, Shorty, I wanna hear dis,” Robin said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat.

Jeremy groaned loudly but didn’t stop Levi from explaining himself further. “You probably noticed that you match that exact description.” 

Robin nodded. “I did, actually, yeah.”

“Jesse Wills, also known as the guy Jeremy fantasized about marrying and had his first sex dream about-” 

“Levi!” Jeremy yelled. 

Levi ignored him, grinning even more. “He also matches that description. Actually, he looks  _ exactly  _ like you.”

Robin hummed in response, smirking at Jeremy’s red face. “What’dya have ta say ‘bout dat, Shorty?”

“Don’t be mad at me?” 

“Why would I be mad?” Robin asked, finally getting Jeremy to look at him. “Ya obviously have a great taste in men.”

“I won’t deny that,” Jeremy agreed, scooting his chair close enough to Robin's that he could feel his leg bouncing up and down under the table. He frowned, pressing a hand to his lower thigh to get him to stop bouncing his knee. Fish and Levi had quickly gotten distracted by each other and their food, so he was free to raise a brow at Robin. 

“Am I bein’ spazzy?” he asked nervously. 

_ “Hyper, _ Babu.” Jeremy shook his head. “I noticed you were taking a little fast on the way here and you’ve been fidgeting an awful lot. It’s been, what? Four or five hours since you smoked?”

Robin thought back and nodded. “Someting like dat. I still got half a joint in me pocket. Tink dey’ll mind if I jus’ step out for a couple minutes?”

“Doesn’t matter even if it did,” Jeremy assured. “Do what you need to do.”

“T’anks, Shorty,” he said, obviously going to great efforts not to kiss him before he excused himself from the table and pulled on his jacket as he left the restaurant. 

Fish’s eyes widened. “Did we piss him off? Shit, sorry Jer. I can go talk to him if you-” 

“No! He’s fine. It’s just- uh, would you be upset if I told you that I’ve been smoking pot for my anxiety?” 

“Wait, actually?” Levi asked, his face breaking in a smile. “I thought you’d been more chill ‘cause you let Robin suck you off, but if it’s also ‘cause of a healthy amount of weed, I’m equally as happy for you.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Robin got me into it- no, I suggested it,” he clarified at the look on Fish’s face. “When I go see him during his break in the mornings, both of us smoke half a joint and I eat breakfast. It just kinda became a regular thing after a while.”

“So you tell us this because he’s currently getting high?” Fish asked, stirring his soup. 

Levi grinned. “I like him more and more the more I learn about him.”

Jeremy smiled at this. “Honestly, me too.” 

“Ew!” Fish groaned. “If you're gonna get hard by talking about him getting stoned in an alley, go deal with it elsewhere, would ya?”

“You know, the way you act, most people would think you’re not happy for me,” he snorted, sipping his soup. 

Fish rolled his eyebrows. “If you can find another guy that can get you from the verge of a panic attack to laughing and eating as fast as he did when the whole vegan thing came up, I will be  _ shocked. _ I have never seen you bounce back so fast in all the years I’ve known you.”

“He’s really got a way with words,” Levi agreed. “I can only imagine what he says-” 

“Finish that sentence if you want to sleep on the couch tonight,” Fish warned. 

Jeremy snorted a laugh. Behind him, he heard the bell jingle meaning that someone had just come inside and Robin’s voice just after it. “Here ya go, mate.” 

“Oh, thanks man. Nice coat, by the way.”

Everything in Jeremy's body tensed, the hair on his arms was standing on end. He closed his eyes as tight as he could, urging it to have been anyone but who he thought it was. “No… no…” he breathed, feeling Robin take the seat next to him. 

“Woah, Jer, what’s wrong?” he asked, taking the hand that was clutching the edge of the table in both of his. “Hey, what happened?”

“Fish-” Levi started, but Fish was already out of his seat, hurrying to the back where Nina was standing to collect their ticket. 

“What’s goin’ on?” Robin asked, looking between Levi and Jeremy while Fish waited in line to pay the tab.

“We need to leave,” Levi said quietly, collecting him and Fish’s coat. He pointed to the door when Robin made no effort to get up. “Robin, I mean, we need to get out of here  _ right now.”  _

Robin nodded, standing up and helping Jeremy into his coat. “I was gonna split t’e tab, ya know,” he said, though Levi was ushering him out the door with Jeremy almost out the door already. When they’d made it onto the sidewalk, Jeremy disappeared around the corner, leaning against the wall to wait for Fish to meet up with them. 

Levi met him there, stepping towards him to try and comfort him, but the space around him already felt far too small without Levi standing there. Jeremy put a hand to Levi’s chest, pushing him back until he was an arm’s length away, and kept his arm there while Levi put his hands up in surrender. 

“You’re all good, Jer,” he said softly. 

Jeremy nodded, squeezing his eyes closed again and trying to focus on anything but the fact that his breathing was on the verge of hyperventilation and he could feel his heart hammering in his chest. 

“I- I know that I am safe right now,” he said under his rapid breathing, trying to remember some more of the stupid mantras that his therapist had given him for moments just like the one he was in. “I know that I am not in- in danger. I know that I am okay… I don’t- I’m not. Robin,” he gasped, opening his eyes to look at the worry on Robin’s face as he did his best not to invade Jeremy’s space like Levi had done despite how much he wanted to hug him and make sure he was already. 

“I’m here, baby,” Robin assured, holding out his hand as a cautionary precursor to pulling him into a hug. 

Jeremy dropped his hand from Levi’s chest and covered his face with his hands, stumbling into Robin’s chest. “Babu…” he said, sucking in several shaky breaths. “He was in there.” 

“Who?” Robin asked, rubbing Jeremy’s back and rocking him back and forth. 

“I don’t think he saw us,” Fish announced, jogging up to them. His face was significantly more pale than it had been when he'd left the table and they were all sure it was because of the fear of running into someone that caused them all so much pain, both physically and mentally, for so many years. “Looked like he was meeting with someone, so he wasn’t paying much attention to us.”

Jeremy pulled his face out of Robin’s chest and looked at both Fish and Levi. “I wanna throw up.”

“Hearing his voice for the first time in so long made me feel like I had bugs crawling on me,” Levi agreed, giving Fish his coat.

“Who are ya talkin’ ‘bout?” Robin asked again, still holding Jeremy close to his chest. 

Fish sighed, nodding down the sidewalk. “We should get going.”

Jeremy nodded in agreement, finally pulling away from Robin, though he kept one hand gripped onto his coat. “You opened the door for him,” he said quietly. 

Robin furrowed his brows, looking between the three of them. “T’e tall guy with t’e brown hair- dat was Bailey, wasn’t it?” Jeremy looked up at him with tears swimming in his eyes and Robin’s face dropped. “Awe, Shorty, I had no idea.”

"It's alright," Jeremy assured, staying as close to him as he could. 

"Awe," came a drawing voice from behind them. "Did Fag-tri get himself a little boyfriend?"

Robin paused and started to turn around but Levi grabbed his shoulder and forced him forward. "I'll feckin' kill him."

"Just ignore him. He's trying to cause problems," Fish urged, picking up his pace slightly.

"Ooh! A big ol' boyfriend, huh? Is he gonna protect you?” Despite Bailey’s taunts, they continued down the sidewalk without paying him a single glance. “What’s a matter, Jer? What do I embarrass you? Do I  _ scare  _ you? Is it ‘cause you know I can tell him all your dirty little secrets? All about those awful scars you have?”

Jeremy tensed even more if it was even possible and Bailey let out a cruel laugh. He stared down at his feet as they walked, doing his best to breathe in and out and focus on anything but the words coming out of Bailey’s mouth.

“Don’t wanna talk about those, do we?” Bailey called. It was disturbing how much joy he was getting from the act of talking to a group of people who were actively avoiding and ignoring him. “You haven’t shown him, have you? Haven’t shown how broken and  _ ugly _ your body is. I wouldn’t show anyone either. It’s fucking embarrassing.”

Jeremy quickly turned on his heels, marching towards Bailey with clenched fists. “I’m not fucking afraid of you anymore!” he yelled, shoving him back as hard as he could. 

Bailey stumbled back, shock flooding his face before another wave of anger overtook it. Jeremy stared at him, observing his face for the first time since he’d left the house for college and feeling nothing but anger towards him. 

“You’re pathetic, Bailey. You’re so afraid of people finding out who you really are that you take out your feelings on people who are living as their true selves. Just because you have all this built up anger and internalized homophobia, doesn’t give you the right to be an  _ asshole. _ You’re just proving that it’s harder to live a lie and be accepted socially than to be yourself and risk judgment from others.”

“What- you’re just-” Bailey stammered, searching for any kind of response. “You’re wrong! You’re the one that hides behind your anxiety to avoid showing the fact that you’re revolting under all those layers.”

Jeremy swallowed, forcing himself not to cover his hips with his hands so that Bailey couldn’t use it against him. “You act like you think that relationships are all the physical things because you don’t want people to think that you’re weak for being in touch with your emotions, but you and I  _ both  _ know that you were attracted to me even  _ after  _ you saw my scars. You were attracted to my heart and my mind  _ just  _ as much as you were attracted to my body. You’re not fooling anyone with your tough guy act.”

Bailey’s jaw clenched and unclenched a few times, his mind churning with comebacks and insults that he could throw. It seemed that his mind ultimately landed on throwing punches rather than words, though. His fist collided with Jeremy’s jaw, sending him down to the concrete hard enough to knock the wind out of him. 

He gasped, clutching his chest with one hand and his face with the other. Fish and Levi fell to the ground next to him, looking over him with wide eyes. 

“Are you okay?” Fish asked, pulling his hand away from his face so that he could see the damage. “Oh, that’s a lot of blood.” 

Jeremy found that even he was shocked at the laugh that clambered up his throat. He could taste blood filling his mouth and a burning pain in his tongue from where he’d bit it in the impact. “Totally worth it,” he said, grasping Levi’s arm as he sat up. “I’ve always wanted to say something like that to him.”

Fish let out a breath and shook his head. “You’re out of your mind.”

“Holy shit,” Levi yelled, standing up as Robin pulled back and swung at Bailey’s face. Bailey stumbled back, tripping over his own feet and collapsing to the ground, only giving Robin more of a chance to get on top of him and start getting some clean hits in. 

All Robin saw was red as he swung at Bailey over and over again, not flinching in the slightest while Bailey shoved and clawed at him to get him to stop.

“I guess you gotta make him stop that, right?” Jeremy said, sighing a bit. A large part of him wanted to let Robin go until he was satisfied, but the more logical side of his brain knew that he didn’t really want to see Robin in jail with assault charges. 

Levi nodded, wrapping both his arms around Robin’s chest and heaving him off of Bailey with great effort. Robin continued to swing and struggle against him, but Levi kept a strong hold around his middle. “C’mon, Christopher Robin never beat the shit out of anyone like this, did he?” 

“Christopher Robin never had ta deal with scum like him, did he?” Robin retorted, shaking Levi off of him. He ran a hand down his face, smearing a mixture of him and Bailey’s blood down his cheeks and chin. Jeremy stumbled over to him, still slightly disoriented from getting his so hard and wrapped his arms around Robin’s waist. “Thank you.”

“Ya alright, Shorty?” Robin asked, taking Jeremy’s face and looking him over. 

Jeremy nodded, turning his head away so he could spit blood onto the concrete. “I’m great.”

Bailey let out a loud groan as he picked himself up from the ground and wiped the blood dripping down his face with the sleeve of his coat. “I’m gonna fucking kill all of you.”

“Is now the time we run?” Fish stage-whispered. 

“I’d say now would be a good time for that, Fishy, yeah,” Levi said, grabbing Fish’s arm and pulling him in the opposite direction, Jeremy and Robin following closely behind. 

“I can’t believe ya did dat!” Robin said between ragged breaths as they crossed a street. “Dat was  _ so  _ bloody brave, Jer, I couldn’t believe what I was seein’.” 

Jeremy smiled, looking up at him. “I knew you wouldn’t let him hurt me too bad, so I guess that kinda took away all my fear.”

Ahead of them, Fish and Levi were squeezing through a wooden stile that led into a small cow farm. Jeremy followed them through it and Robin opted to hop the fence, looking behind them to see Bailey still following, but significantly slower due to his injuries and the amount of blood that had to be clouding his vision.

“C’mon!” Levi called to them. “If we cut around the girls’ home and take the trail around the pond then I’m pretty sure we’ll lose him.”

“T’e hell’s he talkin’ ‘bout?” Robin grumbled, picking up his pace to catch up with Fish and Levi. 

“You’re about to see the boys’ home for the first time,” Jeremy explained, following them around a large house and down a path that led to a pond filled with small fish and a couple geese. Across the large lawn was a house with almost the exact same structure as the first. Fish and Levi ran around the back of the house to a lattice that was covered in overgrown vines. 

“Who’s up for a little roof sitting?” Fish asked and he grasped the vines and started to climb up the side of the house like he’d done it a hundred times before. 

Levi snorted a laugh and followed him up, crawling onto the roof and laying down next to Fish. “For fuck’s sake! I never thought we’d need to do this again.” 

Jeremy climbed up next, sitting with his back against the chimney. “You’re telling me.”

After a few failed attempts at getting his large body up the lattice, Robin joined them, sitting down and laying his head on Jeremy’s shoulder, his breath unsteady from the run. “Ya’re sayin’ ya’ve done dis before?” he groaned. “I’m so sorry.” 

“We used to do this pretty much every day after school,” Levi explained, putting an arm behind his head. “This was the only place that we could come to get away from the others. They knew that Warden would have their asses for getting on the roof, but she always let us get away with it.”

“To be fair, they weren’t allowed to do most things we were allowed to do because they were constantly being punished for beating one of us up,” Fish added.

“Or all of us,” Jeremy said, resting his head on top of Robin’s. “I had my first beer up here.”

“We had our first kiss up here,” Levi said, smiling fondly at Fish.

“I pushed you off after you kissed me,” Fish teased, taking Levi’s hand. “I was so genuinely shocked.” 

“I forgot that’s how you broke your arm,” Jeremy laughed. “You had to tell everyone it was because someone tripped you while you were going downstairs.”

Levi brought Fish’s hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles. “You made it up to me.” 

“You mean by kissing you in the emergency room because I felt so bad and getting us caught by Warden? Oh yeah, that was a great idea.”

“I appreciated it.” 

“Remember when you guys found me up here-” Jeremy started.

“Half naked and black out?” 

“Half naked and crying? Wait, that one happened a lot.”

“Crying and black out?”

“That one also happened a lot.

“Throwing up in the chimney?”

“After you kidnapped the goose?” 

“With the mouse you saved from the glue trap?” 

“With the mouse you saved from being dissected at school?”

“Awe, I remember that. You named him Ratman,” Levi said, snorting a laugh. “Wow, most of my memories of you up here are with animals that you stole or saved or both.” 

Jeremy frowned and crossed his arms. “I almost dropped anatomy when they wanted us to dissect the rats we were forced to train.” 

“So your solution was to steal your rat?”

“We all got an A since the rat went missing.” Jeremy shrugged. He reached up and pushed a strand of hair out of Robin’s face. “Are you alright?”

Robin looked up at him. “Fine, why?”

“You’re quiet.” 

“I wasn’t here fer nothin’ yer talkin’ ‘bout so I guess I don’t have much ta say,” he said, smiling a bit. “Ya t’ree have a lotta history.”

Jeremy smiled back, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. “You’re part of our history now.”

“Ew,” Levi groaned. “Don’t be gross on the roof.” 

“You guys have fucked up here too many times to have the authority to complain about what I do on the roof,” Jeremy countered. 

Fish nodded. “He’s got a point.”

“Shut up.”

Jeremy looked down at his watch. “What do you think they’re doing right now? I mean, it’s Remembrance Day, so there’s no school.”

Fish thought about it for a moment. “Warden’s probably feeding the little kids popcorn and forcing them to watch a movie while the older kids are out with friends and stuff.”

“Awe, I miss movie days,” Levi sighed. “We’d always opt to stay in and watch the movies when we didn’t have to.”

“Remember when she put on the entire Planet of the Apes series?” Fish chuckled. “That was a fun day.” 

“You’re only saying that because you thought it was funny when the little kids cried,” Jeremy scoffed. 

“Yeah…” he sighed, an amused smile on his face.

Levi shook his head. “What do you think Warden would say if she found us up here-”

_ “Ambrose! Levi! Jeremy! _ Get your asses down here this instant! And bring the tall guy with you!” a woman screamed from the ground below them.

Jeremy grimaced. “Probably that.”

“Our asses are coming!” Fish called back, moving back to the lattice and jumping from it to the ground, the other three following his lead.

Robin stood a bit behind them, eyeing the situation wearily. He was sure that this short woman with harsh lines in her aged face had to be the Warden he’d heard them talk about so many times and he wasn’t in the mood to have his ass chewed by a woman he didn’t even know.

“Hi Gus…” Jeremy trailed, giving her a nervous smile.

Gus’ tightlipped frown broke as she looked between the three of them. “Oh, boys!” she sighed, opening her arms and pulling them all into a tight hug. “What on Earth are you doin’ on my roof? We have  _ talked  _ about this.”

“It’s been a weird day,” Fish said as she pulled away and looked them over again. 

“I can see that,” she sighed, reaching up to wipe the blood that was still dripping from Jeremy’s mouth. Her eyes reached Robin and she furrowed her eyebrows at him. “What’s your name, boy?”

Robin cleared his throat and stepped forward, offering his hand for her to shake. “Robin Jett, ma’am.” He glanced at Jeremy. “I’m Jer’s-”

_ “Boyfriend,” _ Jeremy said before he could say anything else. He smiled a little, rubbing Robin’s back. “He’s here as a foreign exchange student from Ireland.” 

Gus took his hand, though she didn’t shake it, instead looked over the cuts, bruises, and blood caked around his knuckles. “Have you been hittin’ him, boy?” 

Robin’s eyes widened in shock. “No- no, ma’am! Never! I’d never lay a hand on ‘em like dat.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why’d you stutter when you answered me?”

Jeremy forced himself between them and shook his head. “Bailey did this!” He gestured to the bruise forming on his jaw and the blood seeping from his lips. “He followed us out of Nina’s and then Robin jumped in when he hit me.”

Gus kept her gaze on Robin. “That true?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, forcing himself not to stutter despite how intimidated he felt.

“Robin’s a good guy,” Fish assured. “And he makes Jer really, really fucking happy.”

“Language!” 

“Sorry.”

“Honestly Gus,” Levi said, patting Robin’s back. “He’s everything you could have ever wanted for Jer.”

Gus’ face shifted a bit and she smiled. “You really jumped in when someone laid a hand on him?”

“As fast as I could,” Robin said with a nod. 

“And you make sure he’s happy?”

“I’d do anything ta make sure o’ it.”

She crossed her arms. “You really care about him?”

Robin swallowed and wrapped an arm around Jeremy’s chest. “More dan anything.”

“Good on ya,” she said, patting Robin’s cheek. “You keep him happy, ya hear? If you don’t, I’ll have Curtis take the cattle prod to ya.”

Robin grinned at her. “He’s all I could ever want in me life. I couldn’t hurt him without hurtin’ meself.”

Jeremy looked up at him. “That’s really sweet.” 

“I try,” he smirked.

“Gus?” a small voice said from the door behind them. They all turned to see a boy that was around twelve, poking his head out of the house. “Jeremy!” he yelled, sprinting towards Jeremy and hugging him so hard it almost knocked him over. 

“Did you say Jeremy?” another person asked, coming out of the house. “Fish!”

Soon a whole herd of children were running out of the house and yelling in excitement. Robin backed out of the crowd and pressed himself against the lattice where Gus had moved as well. 

“Despite how much the older boys liked to mess with those three, they had quite the influence on all the little ones,” she explained. “Jeremy would help all of them with homework and help the new kids get settled in. Fish and Levi were so good with helping out around the house and cooking everyone dinner when I was busy.”

“Dey talk ‘bout dis place a hell o’ a lot, but I’ve never really heard any good stories…”

Gus sighed. “I hate to say it, but that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. Those boys went through hell here, and every day I think about what I could have done differently. I’ve made some rules and tried to instill some better values in the boys that have come through since they left, but I know that will never change the trauma they experienced.” 

“Jer stood up ta Bailey today,” Robin told her, looking down at the surprise on her face. “Told him all kinds o’ tings I know he’s been waitin’ ta get off his chest for a long time. Dat’s why he got hit… ‘cause Bailey couldn’t handle t’e truth.”

“I offered that boy every opportunity in the world to clean up his act. I offered him a safe place to talk about what he was going through and assured him that he’d be safe if he wanted to come out, but he chose to make it harder on everyone else.” 

Robin frowned. “He needs ta learn ta love himself as he is instead o’ changin’ fer everyone else.”

Gus looked up to him and pat his arm. “I see why Jeremy likes you.”

When all the yelling and hugging had come to a halt, Gus told all the boys to go back inside so she could start the movie and they all complained, though they whined and groaned about it the entire trip inside.

“What are they watching?” Fish asked, a sinister smile creeping across his face. “Planet of the Apes?” 

Gus sighed, “No, we finished E.T. right before we heard you four walking around on the roof. I’m about to put on the first Star Wars movie.” 

Jeremy’s face lit up and he grabbed Robin’s arm. “Oh! Can we stay and watch? You’ve still never seen it!” 

Robin looked down at the excitement on his face and sighed, knowing that there was no way he could say no to that look. “I- well, if yer Gus is alrigh’ with it, den I don’t see why not.” 

“Gus?” Fish asked eagerly.

Gus rolled her eyes, though it was impossible for her to hide her amusement. “If you must! Let’s go then! No dilly dallying.” 

Levi was the first to the door, though he stopped as he passed the threshold, causing Fish and Jeremy to bump into him. “What?” Jeremy groaned, looking over Levi’s shoulder. He gasped and grabbed both of their arms. “No way…”

Above the couch where several of the boys were sitting, a pride flag hung on the wall next to a sign that read “No Bullying or Bigotry Policy”. 

“Welcome home, boys,” Gus said from behind them, watching their reactions carefully. She jumped a bit as all three of them turned towards her to pull her into a massive hug. “Oh! Okay…” she said, patting their backs.

“Thank you,” Jeremy whispered. “For everything.”

“Can we watch Star Wars now?” one of the boys yelled.

They all pulled away from Gus, muttering their last thank yous to her before filing inside. 

“Couch is for the big kids today!” Fish yelled, running at the couch to a chorus of children screaming and running away before he could belly flop onto it. “I got the couch for us!” he told them with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Jeremy shook his head, taking a seat next to the arm of the couch and forcing Robin to sit next to him. “Are you excited for Star Wars?”

“I’m excited ta watch ya watch Star Wars,” Robin said, smiling softly. “I love it when yer all excited ‘bout tings.”

“Awe,” Jeremy cooed, lacing his fingers with Robin’s. “Well, nothing excites me more than this.”

**3:57 PM**

As the credits rolled, Jeremy looked up at Robin from where his head was resting on his chest. “What’d ya think?” 

Robin thought for a moment. “I tink I’d like ta spend t’e rest o’ t’e day watchin’ t’e other ones with ya.” 

Jeremy grinned. “I’d like that.”

One of the boys that was laying on the ground by their feet for almost the entire movie stood and looked at both of them. Robin shifted a bit, though he didn’t withdraw his arm from around Jeremy’s shoulders.

“Is that your boyfriend?” he asked Jeremy, pointing at Robin.

“Uh… yeah, he is,” Jeremy said quietly.

“Oh. Okay.” The boy turned to Robin. “Why’s your voice sound like that?”

“Ya mean me accent?” Robin asked, chuckling. “I’m from a place a long ways away from here ‘n we all sound like dis over dere.”

“You mean, like, Florida or something??” 

Robin let out a loud bark of a laugh. “Way further dan dat! Ya ever hear ‘o Ireland?”

“Like the Lucky Charms guy?” he asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

Jeremy laughed. “That’s exactly who he’s like!”

Robin‘s face dropped and he quickly stood up causing the kid to stumble backwards in shock. “Tink I look like dat wee git? I’d drop kick him ta another dimension.”

“That’s not how that-” 

“Shut it, Shorty,” Robin spat.

“I’m just saying that theoretically-”

Robin turned to him and raised his eyebrow. “Den stop sayin’.” 

Jeremy pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth to hold back his laughter. The kid looked up at Robin. “You’re really tall.”

“It’s ‘cause I eat me spuds,” Robin said, grinning.

“Don’t say that!” Jeremy grumbled, slapping his chest.

“It’s true!” 

“It’s definitely not! I can definitely assure you that your height and your absorb potato consumption have nothing to do with each other.” 

“Does that mean if I eat a lot of potatoes, I’ll get really tall?” he asked, smiling brightly.

“Yes!”

“No!” 

Robin faked a glare. “How would you know?”

Jeremy turned back to the kid. “Listen, if you wanna get tall like Robin, you’ve gotta eat all your vegetables just like Mrs. Gus tells you to.”

“Jer…” Robin said, holding back a laugh. “Taters are vegetables- Aye! Don’t walk away from me like that! Bye kiddo!” He rushed after Jeremy who’d walked away with his arms crossed and a pout on his lips.

Gus met the two of them at the door where Fish and Levi were putting their coats back on. “What’d ya do?” she asked Robin harshly, looking at the fake pout on Jeremy’s lips. “Are you being mean to him, boy?”

Robin shook his head, pulling his coat on. “I ain’t did nothin’ ta him! He’s just upset dat I told a kiddo ta eat lots o’ spuds ta make him tall like I am, ‘cause dat’s why I’m so tall.”

“That’s definitely not why you’re tall,” she scoffed. “For God’s sake, did you even take a health class in school?”

“Babu, have you seen my coat?” Jeremy asked quickly, trying to break up the quickly forming tension.

“Right here.” Robin held out his coat so that he could get into it. “Are yer hips botherin’ ya?”

Jeremy chewed his lip. “I’m fine.” 

“Ya’re limpin’.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted.

“Ya can’t lie ta me,” Robin tsked. 

“I just wanna go lay down for a bit.” 

Robin nodded. “We’ll be goin’ den.”

“It was nice of you three to come see me, even if it wasn’t much of a personal choice,” Gus said, putting Fish and Levi into another hug before turning to Jeremy. “You call me if he starts acting up.”

Jeremy laughed. “I will.” 

“Remember my warning, boy,” she huffed, squeezing Robin’s arm. Though, he was sure that he saw her wink when she said this.

“Are we meeting for study group tomorrow?” Fish asked Jeremy as they stepped out the front door. 

Jeremy thought over his schedule. “I’ve got a Chem study group right after my last class and then I’m tutoring someone until 8. If you’re good with 8:30 to 10:30 then I can do that.”

“How do you make time to give him so many  _ fucking  _ hickeys?” Levi asked Robin with a huff, pulling at the collar of Jeremy’s coat. “With a schedule like that, I’m surprised you two even have time to see each other.” 

“After he studies with t’e two o’ ya, we’ve got Extra Credit Hour for Astronomy and den we go get dinner at t’e diner,” he explained, grabbing Jeremy’s arm as he hobbled down the stairs, obviously wincing in pain. “Get on me back.” 

“No.” 

“Get on me back,” he said again, though he passed Jeremy a look that said he wasn’t kidding.

“Robin, I’m fine,” Jeremy huffed, though he didn’t let go of his arm as they walked down the sidewalk. 

Robin stopped and bent his knees enough for Jeremy to get on his back. “Jer…” he said in a warning voice.

Jeremy rolled his eyes but hopped onto his back anyway. “You’re dumb.”

“Ya ain’t limpin’ no more, are ya?”

“Shut up.”

**4:08 PM**

Robin leaned forward, balancing Jeremy on his back as he dug his keys out of his pocket. 

“Do you hear that?” Jeremy asked in a hushed whisper. 

Robin paused, listening through his dorm door to the sound of Xavier scolding the people inside.

“Not the point! If other people on this floor weren’t out getting drunk at, like,  _ one _ for the holiday, you would have gotten so many noise complaints, and quite frankly, I don’t know why you’re showcasing your sex life considering what happened during Harvest Fest.” 

“Christ, ya really know how ta crash a party, don’t ya?” Nicole grumbled.

“It’s my _ job.” _

“Ya ever made it a t’reesome doin’ yer job?” Nicole asked.

Dolls sucked in a loud, annoyed breath. “I swear to God, Haught.” 

She put her hands up. “Aye, I’m jus’-”

Robin shoved the door open, walking in so fast that Jeremy almost fell off his back. “Did I hear t’reesome?” 

“Keep it in yer pants, Jett,” Nicole scoffed.

Robin moved to the bed and set Jeremy down on it. “Ya know, Xavier-”

Jeremy slapped him on the back of the thigh. “You better stop that sentence right there if you wanna live.”

He put his hands up in defense. “I was gonna congratulate him on gettin’ a complaint on someone other dan us fer once.” 

“You know, for some reason I doubt that,” Jeremy scoffed, moving to the desk so that he could feed Alfred.

Nicole gagged. “Dat’s so nasty, mate!”

“He’s hungry!”

Xavier shook his head. “Keep it down for the rest of the night or I’ll write you both up.”

“Dat implies dat we can be as loud as we want and we won’t get written up,” Robin said with a smirk. 

“No, I’ll just hit you if I have to come down here again,” he spat, leaving the room and slamming the door behind him.

Robin turned to Nicole and Waverly and smirked. “Had a good day?”

“What happened to your face?” Waverly gasped, rushing towards Jeremy and touching at the swelling skin on his jaw and lip. She looked towards Robin for an answer, but her eyes flickered down to his blood caked knuckles. “Robin,  _ so help me God!  _ I may be small, but I’m not afraid to-”

“It wasn’t Robin,” Jeremy groaned, pushing her off of him. “I don’t wanna talk about it either.”

Robin frowned and crossed his arms. “Why’s everyone tink I’m t’e scumbag dat hit ya? First Gus, now Babycakes? Ya have no faith in me!”

“Gus?” Waverly asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

“That’s the lady that runs the boys’ home,” Jeremy explained. “Her husband Curtis runs the girls’ home next door.”

“Gus Gibson?” she questioned.

Jeremy gave her a confused look. “Yeah… How’d you-”

“She’s my aunt! Her and Curtis kinda just took off after they got married. They said they wanted to help the community, but never really said how they were gonna do that. I can’t believe that she’s been right around the corner this whole time and I had no idea.”

“T’e world’s weird like dat,” Nicole said. “T’e two o’ ya’ve been friend fer a while now ‘n ya had no idea dat t’e lady dat helped raised ya ‘n yer friends was her auntie.”

_ “Awe!”  _ Waverly clapped her hands together and hugged Jeremy from behind, not seeing him wince as she did so. “We were meant to be!”

Jeremy chuckled and pat her hand. “We’re soulmates, but in the friend way.” 

“No hetro,” Robin clarified, kissing Jeremy's forehead. “Only homosexual activities in this room. T’ough, seems like ya weren’t havin’ a problem with dat ‘fore Xavier interrupted ya.”

“How about we  _ don’t  _ talk about said things that were previously happening in here,” Waverly mumbled, trying to shun Nicole’s clothes on the floor under the bed.

“Aye, I need dem,” Nicole huffed, holding the blanket over herself as she wriggled off the bed and grabbed at her boxers.

Robin raised a brow with a smirk when he saw the familiar straps wrapped around her hips that she had been desperately trying to hide as she gathered her clothes off the floor. “Why don’t ya wanna talk ‘bout it? I personally love talkin’ ‘bout gettin’ absolutely railed. Or more, who I absolutely rail.” 

“You’re very weird,” Waverly grimaced.

“It’s hereditary,” Nicole said, slapping him on the back as she passed him with her makeshift blanket skirt and headed into the bathroom.

Robin glared at her as she went. “Ya callin’ me pop weird?”

“Ya sayin’ he ain’t?” she countered, leaving the door open a crack as she changed.

“I’m gonna tell him ya said dat.”

“Do it! I dare ya.” 

He chewed his lip for a moment and glanced at Jeremy. “Ya wanna talk to me pop?”

Jeremy’s eyes widened. “Uh- I mean… uh…” 

Nicole snorted a laugh, walking back out of the bathroom, this time with her shirt and jeans back on. “I didn’t tink ya actually would. Don’t ya normally wait ‘til Fridays for ya Jack Jack meetin’s?”

“Ya, but he likes it when I surprise him.” He picked up the phone box and set it in his lap. “Do ya wanna talk ta him or no?”

Jeremy chewed his lips. “Does he even know about me?”

Robin grinned. “He knows  _ of _ ya. I kinda wanted ya ta be here t’e first time dat I told him dat we’re… serious ‘n such.”

_ “Awe!” _ Waverly cooed.

“I’ll tell him ‘bout ya ‘n Nic too,” he warned.  _ “Everyting.” _

Waverly’s eyes shot open and her face burned bright red. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

“I didn’t tink ya’d be too keen on dat.” He typed in his dad’s number into the phone and pressed a button that put it on speaker. 

After several rings, it picked up and there was a shuffling sound. “Who da hell is it?” a gruff voice yelled into the voice. “Yer interruptin’ me news!” 

“Hullo, Pop!” Robin said, leaning back against the headboard of the bed and gesturing for Jeremy to get into his lap. 

“Robbie? Whatcha callin’ me so late fer?”

“Nic called ya weird.”

“Ya tattlin’ on her from all t’e way over dere?” he grumbled. “Well, I am weird, ain’t I? Ya get it from me, after all.”

Nicole chucked a pillow from her bed at him right after she sat down next to Waverly and pulled her onto her lap. “I told ya, didn’t I!”

“Dat Kiki?” he asked.

“Kiki, huh?” Waverly whispered, nudging Nicole with her elbow.

“Absolutely not,” she muttered, turning back to the phone so that she could be heard. “It’s me, Papa Plane!”

“Why ain’t ya never called me fer?” 

“Aye, Jackson!” she huffed. “If ya woulda told me ya wanted me to, maybe I woulda!” 

Robin’s dad sighed. “I always wanna hear from ya, Kiki. Yer like a better version o’ Robbie!” 

“Aye!” Robin whined.

Nicole smirked at him. “I know it! I’ll try ‘n call ya when I call me folks from now on, alrigh’?” 

“I’d like dat!” Jackson said. “Now, bud, whatcha actually callin’ me fer? I know it ain’t jus’ ‘cause Kiki called me weird.”

Robin wrapped an arm around Jeremy’s waist. “Ya remember me tellin’ ya ‘bout dat guy I was seein’ a couple weeks ago? I told ya dat I really liked him.”

“Gerad?”

“Jeremy,” Robin laughed. 

“Jeremy! Yeah, yeah, what ‘bout him? He ain’t got ya sick, did he?”

Jersey frowned at this, but Robin just held him closer. “Nah, he ain’t got me sick. I asked him ta be me boyfriend, t’ough.” 

“Ya don’t say? What’d he say?” 

“Unfortunately, I said yes,” Jeremy sighed, grinning up at Robin. 

_ “Blimey!” _ Jackson gasped. “Why’d ya do dat fer?” 

Robin shook his head. “I wonder t’e same ting every day.”

“I don’t know. I don’t regret it thus far,” he said, lifting his head to press a soft kiss to Robin’s lip. “You do beat people up for me.”

“He deserved it,” Robin grumbled, kissing him back. “A million time over.”

“Who’d ya beat up, Robbie?” Jackson asked eagerly.

Jeremy chewed his lip when Waverly and Nicole looked at them expectantly. Robin pulled him closer and cleared his throat. “It his arse of an ex. He hit Jer first, so I really had no choice.” 

“Datta boy!” he cheered. “I’m proud o’ ya.”

“I’m proud o’ Jer,” Robin said, kissing the side of Jeremy’s head. “He was the brave one today.”

“Shut up,” Jeremy grumbled, shoving his elbow into Robin’s stomach.

Robin chuckled. “Pa, ya wanna hear ‘bout Nic’s mot?”

“I wanna hear more ‘bout dis Jeremy fellow first,” Jackson insisted. “Den I wanna hear all ‘bout Kiki’s girlfriend.” 

“What do you wanna know about me?” Jeremy asked awkwardly. 

“Yer in university with Robbie, ain’t ya? What’re ya majorin’ in?”

Jeremy ran his fingers down Robin’s knees. “I’m majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Astronomy so I can work for the Canadian Space Agency.”

“Do ya wanna go ta space?”

“I wouldn’t decline an offer to go to space,” Jeremy said, his smile growing wider. “I think that would be the coolest experience.” 

“Will ya bring Robbie with ya? He’s always liked space.” 

Robin shook his head. “I like stars ‘n planets ‘n stuff but I would hate dat experience. Everyting ‘bout space freaks me out ‘sides how pretty it is.”

“See, ya sayin’ tings like dat was how I knew ya was gay when ya were a wee anklebiter.” 

Robin’s face burned red. “Pa…”

“What? It ain’t an insult! I wouldn’t have preferred ya any other way.” 

Jeremy looked up at him and kissed his jaw. “You’re perfect the way you are, Babu.”

“What’d he call ya? Booby?”

“Babu,” Jeremy said, catching a look of nerves pass across Robin’s face. “It means baby in Hindi.”

Robin’s dad scoffed over the phone, and Robin chewed his lip nervously, casting a look to Nicole. She tensed a little, coming to a realization of what might come out of the phone next. “Why do ya call him dat fer? Do ya take Indian classes or someting?” 

Jeremy paused for a moment, taken aback by the question. “I do, actually, but I spoke a bit of Hindi and some of the language that they speak in the village that my mom came from already.”

“Yer ma came from a bloody village somewhere? I t’ought ya was a Canadian.” 

Robin flinched at his tone. “Pa!” 

“I was born here and I’ve always had citizenship because of it,” Jeremy explained, pulling away from Robin so that he could sit up straight. 

“I didn’t realize ya were anyting but white. Wouldn’t expect it with yer name bein’ so white,” he sighed. “Guess yer people can come with all kinds o’ names now, don’t ya?”

Jeremy shot Robin an annoyed look, and Robin cleared his throat. “Pa, ya can’t say shite like dat. It’s mean ‘n it’s hurtful.”

“Makes Jer feel like ya ain’t gonna like him ‘cause o’ his skin, Jack,” Nicole added as Waverly shifted uncomfortably on her lap.

“What? I ain’t tryin’ ta make him feel bad. I jus’ wasn’t expectin’ it, is all. I don’t a wee bit less o’ ya ‘cause o’ yer skin or nothin’!”

Robin sighed, rubbing his forehead. “We’ve talked ‘bout dis! Pop, ya know I ain’t like it when ya say tings like ‘yer people’ ‘n ‘people like dem’. Dat’s racist. We’re all jus’ people.”

Jackson sighed. “I hate when ya call me dat. I ain’t never tryin’ ta make folks feel bad, dat’s jus’ how we were raised, ya know?”

“I know it,” Robin mumbled.

“I’m sorry fer bein’ rude, Jeremy. I tink ya sound like a fine lad, honestly. ‘N ya make my Robbie real happy too, ‘n dat’s all I can ask fer as his pa, ya know?”

Jeremy smiled softly at Robin and took his hand. “It’s alright. No harm done. For the record, you raised an incredible son.”

“Means a lot ta hear someone say dat, if I’m bein’ honest.”

“I still tink he’s a wee shitehead!” Nicole added, grinning at the glare Robin shot her.

Jackson snorted a laugh. “Good ting I helped ta raise both o’ ya, huh?” 

“I think you’re both very shiteheads,” Waverly added, sending Robin and Nicole into fits of laughter. 

“Dat definitely ain’t da way ya say dat, love,” Nicole laughed.

“What?” Waverly whined. 

“Is dat dis wee ting dat Kiki’s been seein’ den?” Jackson asked. “Robbie’s told me ‘bout ya!” 

Waverly glared at Robin. “You have, huh?” 

He smirked. “Only t’e good tings.” 

“What’s yer name, love?” Jackson asked through the laughter still passing between Nicole and Robin.

“Waverly, sir,” she introduced, smiling a little. “Lovely to meet you.”

“Ah, Waverly’s a beautiful name,” he said, making her face blush pink. “Now… should I assume anyting ‘cause o’ yer name?”

The laughter ceased immediately and Robin shook his head. “She might be t’e whitest one among us.” He covered the receptor with his hand and looked towards Jeremy. “He’s tryin’... I promise dis is t’e best he’s been in years.” 

When he’d pulled his hand away, Waverly looked up at Nicole with a smirk. “I think you definitely hold that title, Bub.” 

“Aye! Dat ain’t nice!” Nicole whined.

Robin looked between them for a moment. “I tink she’s right. Nic’s a fair bit paler.” 

“Says you,” Jeremy scoffed. 

“What’s dat supposed ta mean?”

“You’re just as pale and you don’t have the gingerness to blame it on,” he shrugged. 

Robin rolled his eyes. “Yer actin’ like dat’s an issue.” 

Nicole gagged. “Papa Plane, you’d be delighted ta know dat Jer keeps Robbie covered in love bites most days.”

“I ain’t need ta hear ‘bout dat!” Jackson groaned. “Keep yer sex lives ta yerself.”

_ “Speakin’  _ o’ sex lives,” Robin countered, grinning at the girls on the bed across from him. “Wanna talk ‘bout what Xavier walked in on today?” He glanced down at the dresser drawer laying in the middle of the floor with a pillow thrown on top of it to hide it’s contents. “Pillow fightin’, are we?”

“I’ll gank ya right here, mate,” Nicole warned.

Jackson cleared his throat. “Dis seems like a conversation dat I don’t wanna hear t’e rest o’. It’s late anyhow. It was lovely ta talk ta ya Jeremy. Waverly, too. Call back soon, won’t ya? Kiki too!”

“I will, Papa Plane!” Nicole said.

“Bye, Mr. Jett. Nice to talk to you,” Jeremy said, though the look on his face said that he wasn’t as sure about how happy he was about the way the conversation had gone.

“Bye, Mr. Jett!” Waverly said.

“Bya, Pop. Tell Niall I said hi next time he’s at t’e house, won’t ya? ‘N dat Nic jus’ sent out his birthday present a few days ago.”

“I will. Love ya, Robbie.” 

“Love ya, too.”

The line went dead and Robin set the box back down on the nightstand. He looked back at Jeremy, still sat between his legs, though obviously making an effort to keep a bit of distance between them. 

“C’mere, Shorty,” he urged, reaching out his hands. Jeremy hesitantly moved back to sit against Robin’s chest, looking up at him. “Did he upset ya?”

“No, he’s old and he doesn’t realize he’s being racist. It happens a lot.”

Robin frowned. “I hate dat.” 

“It’s alright.” 

“No, it ain’t. I don’t get how people can look at other people ‘n see deir skin ‘fore anyting else. It don’t make sense.”

Jeremy cupped one of Robin’s cheeks in his hand. “I wish that’s how everyone was. I want people to see me for things other than my race or my sexuality.” 

“Wanna know t’e first ting I noticed ‘bout ya?” he asked with a sweet smile on his face.

“Was it my height?” Jeremy asked, feigning annoyance. 

Robin kissed his lips, the smile never leaving his face. “Yeah.”

“I’d assume so, since the first thing you ever said to me was ‘You gotta problem, Shorty?’ in a weirdly convincing Brooklyn accent that scared me shitless.” 

“Ya remember dat?” 

Jeremy couldn’t help but smile, kissing Robin back. “The things you say to me are important, Babu.”

“Get a room!” Nicole grumbled, throwing a pillow at them. “All dat soft shite’s givin’ me a toothache.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ope ope ope   
> Robin gave Bailey the beating he was promised.   
> Also his dad's a reforming racist. He's trying his best to stop being a cunt, honestly.  
> Good luck on the next chap :)


	29. We’re Inna Room Full o’ Daddy Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain future doctor gives Nicole a call, some things happen with a strap, the gang gets stoned and makes another phone call that, uh, well. You'll see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup fuckers  
> Has it been a month and two days since the last update? Yup. Have we given you over 20k words of chapters to read because of it? ALSO yup!  
> School's been kicking my ass lately with assignments and also I've had a bazillion people die in my fam recently (ok, only two) so I've been dealing with that (yes, I'm fine, don't worry about it lmao)  
> (also yes, AJ is my full sister, but I'm adopted so technically it's also her family, but she has no idea who they are. Fun factz)  
> ANYWAY  
> Yea, uh, so if you read the last chapter (which all of you did obviously) you might have noticed a certain thing that Nicole was wearing ;))) be ready for that lmao  
> uhhhhhh  
> I think that's about it really  
> This is another one of them emotional roller coaster chapters, so you are very welcome :D  
> That's about it from me here. See ya on the other side!

**Thursday, November 11th, 1993 12:02 PM**

Waverly blinked her eyes open, letting out an annoyed whine as she tried to bury her face back in Nicole’s chest to block out the piercing noise of the phone ringing. Nicole simply pulled her pillow over her head, so Waverly groaned, pushing off of her and her glasses on when she grabbed them, tipping the phone towards her. “Unknown number,” she mumbled.

“Answer it,” Nicole mumbled back, her voice muffled by the pillow still over her head. 

“It’s your phone,” she huffed.

“So?” Nicole rolled onto her other side so that her back was to Waverly. 

She let out an annoyed sigh as she put the phone to her ear, clearing her throat a bit. “Hello?” 

“Uh . . . Is dis Nicky Haught’s dorm?” 

Waverly raised her brows at whoever this Irish woman was. “Yeah . . . Are you a friend of her’s?”

There was a soft laugh that seemed like the woman had tried to stifle. “I guess ya could call me dat . . . Name’s Shae. Jus’ tell ‘er-” 

_“You’re_ Shae?” Waverly asked with wide eyes, letting out a huff when the phone was immediately ripped from her hands. 

“Shae,” Nicole mumbled as she rubbed her eyes. 

“Well, if it ain’t me _favorite_ redhead!” 

Nicole rolled her eyes with a chuckle, “Aye, Love. What’s t’e craic?” 

“I’m alrigh’ . . . Seems ya’ve been bloody busy, t’ough. Ain’t heard from ya in feckin’ donkey’s years.”

Nicole sighed, throwing her arm across her forehead. “I’ma college student full time workin’ on me pre-law, o’ course I’m feckin’ busy! Dis t’e first time ya’ve called, so don’t give me dat shite.” 

_“I’ma_ college student workin’ on me undergrad fer _medical school,_ shut yer fuckin’ gob!” 

Nicole laughed a little with a shake of her head. “I’ve missed yer whiney arse, ya know it?” Waverly rolled her eyes and went to climb off the bed to leave her girlfriend alone as she caught up with _her ex,_ but Nicole caught her arm and pulled her over, making her lay down on her chest and wrapping an arm around her. 

“. . . I’ve missed you, too, Love.” Shae cleared her throat a bit after a second, and Nicole could hear the smirk in her voice, “So ya wanna tell me who answered t’e phone?”

Nicole smiled a little, pressing a couple of kisses to Waverly’s forehead as she gently pulled her fingers through her hair. “Ya mean me girlfriend?” 

She pulled the phone away from her ear, having known it was coming before it even had. _“NICOLE HAUGHT’S GOTTA MOT?”_

Nicole grinned as she slid her hand up and down Waverly’s back a few times before slipping her hand down and giving her ass a squeeze. “Yes, Ma’am.” Waverly scooted up and dropped her mouth to her neck, grinning as she marked her pulse point.

“Well, butter me bloody bum ‘n call me toast! I didn’t think ya had it in anymore.” 

Nicole licked her lips and shot Waverly a little glare when she lifted her head. “. . . Neither did I, trust me.” 

“C’mon now, tell me ‘bout ‘er,” Shae urged.

Nicole hummed and closed her eyes when Waverly had pushed up the bottom of her grey tank top, beginning to drop kisses to her stomach. “She’s . . . Hell, Robbie said it, I will, too. She’s probably t’e best t’ing dat’s ever happened ta me.” 

“Ya really t’ink so?” Shae asked, her tone having lost it’s joking lilt now. 

“Truly, I do.”

Waverly pouted her lip, scooting up her body. “Really?”

“Of course, Love,” she chuckled. “I was a feckin’ gobshite ‘fore I met ya.” 

“Sure were.”

“Shut up, Shae.” 

Waverly giggled with a blush, leaning into a kiss. “Still are.”

“Aye!” Nicole huffed as she pulled back from her with an offended gasp.

“Oo, I like her,” Shae laughed. 

“Feck off,” she grumbled. 

“Hey, two against one, Bub,” Waverly grinned, scooting back down her body again and sliding her hands up her sides as she scraped her teeth across her abs. 

Nicole traced her eyes across the ceiling, pushing her hand through Waverly’s hair as her hips pressed up against her slightly. “So Shae. Anybody special?” 

“I mean . . . I ain’t _datin’_ anybody, no.”

Nicole raised her brows. “Are ya _not datin’_ anybody?” 

Shae chuckled a bit. “Mm . . . Ya remember Nessa Walsh from school?” 

“I remember gettin’ way too high at her place one night ‘n wakin’ up on top of ‘er if dat’s what ya mean,” Nicole mumbled with a sly grin, almost forgetting her girlfriend was there until Waverly let out a huffed breath, biting at the skin above one of her ribs.

“Bloody ‘ell,” Shae grumbled with a laugh. “Sounds jus’ like ya.” 

Nicole clenched and unclenched her jaw a few times. “Ain’t it?” She let out a sigh. “T’e good ol’ days.” 

Shae laughed, “Anyway, yeah. We’d never date, but . . . it’s a ball t’e screw around a bit.”

“Dat’s how we got together, ain’t it? Too much weed, too much drink?” 

_“Nicole Haught,_ ya’re tellin’ me ya don’t remember t’e first time we hooked up?” 

Nicole raised her brows, biting back a breath when she felt a hickey sucked over the tattoo on her side. She pulled up on Waverly’s shoulder to try and get her off, but she pushed her hand away. “I remember ya couldn’t walk right t’e mornin’ after, but dat’s about it.” 

Shae tutted. “Ya really don’t remember?”

“Do ya know how _crossfaded_ I was dat night? Last t’ing I remember was almost breakin’ t’e bottle o’ whiskey we were sharing stumblin’ up yer steps.” 

“Ya used t’e end of a _hairbrush_ on me, Love,” Shae laughed. “Ain’t never looked at one t’e same since.”

“A _hairbrush,_ aye?” Nicole shook her head. “Wow . . . Ain’t t’e worst t’ing I used on ya, t’ough.” 

Waverly growled a bit as she pushed Nicole’s tank top up and jerked up the bottom of her sports bra, wrapping her lips around a nipple before Nicole could stop her. She sucked in a quick breath, gripping the phone a little harder. “Hold on.” Nicole hooked her leg around Waverly’s waist and flipped them over, pressing the phone down into the mattress to muffle whatever could be heard as she sat up on Waverly’s lap and wrapped her fingers around her throat. _“Knock it off.”_

“Make me.” 

Nicole bared her teeth, squeezing her neck harder as she leaned forward to hover above her face. “Whose are ya?” 

Waverly sucked in a breath as she looked into her demanding eyes. _“Yours.”_

“Uh-huh. _Mine,”_ Nicole muttered with a nod. “T’e feck ya all jealous fer den if ya know ya’re mine?” Waverly squirmed under her with a whimper, and Nicole let out a ragged breath. “What’re ya shy fer, huh? Ya weren’t shy climbin’ all over me a minute ago.” Waverly swallowed under her palm, looking away from her eyes as her face went red. “Look at ya, can’t even bloody talk no more.” Nicole lifted her finger and tipped her head back towards her, raising her brows. “Can ya behave yerself?”

“Yeah,” she mumbled.

“Can ya?” 

“I _will.”_

“Mhm, ya better.” Nicole leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her parted lips before releasing her neck and moving off her lap. “God help ya if ya can’t.” She turned and laid down next to Waverly, bringing the phone back to her ear. _“Anywho._ Where were we now?”

Shae let out a loud snort. “Sounds like ya’ve got better t’ings ya could be doin’ dan talkin’ ta me. ‘N by _doin’,_ I mean-”

 _“Yes,_ Pressman. I got what ya meant,” Nicole laughed. “I ain’t gotta go, t’ough.” 

“Nah. It’s alrigh’. I just wanted ta call ‘n make sure ya ain’t gone off ‘n joined a cult or anythin’.” 

Nicole chuckled with a shake of her head. “Not yet, no.”

“Alrigh’- Aye, quit bein’ a busy bee ‘n give yer brother a call sometime.”

“Chicken?” Nicole asked with a raised brow. “I jus’ talked with ‘em, like, a couple o’ weeks ago.”

“Ya, well, me ‘n me mam ran up ta yer dad- uh, Haught’s Butcher t’e other day ‘n he was goin’ on ‘bout how ya forgot about ‘em, so.” Shae let out a sigh. “Jus’ maybe do dat so he stops crabbin’.” 

Nicole rolled her eyes with a nod. “I will, yeah.- He knows he’s got t’e ability ta call me, too, ain’t he?” 

“‘Parently not, no.”

“Lord help him,” Nicole mumbled. “. . . M’kay, I’ll let ya go, alrigh’?”

“Alrigh’. Talk soon, Nic. I love ya.” 

Nicole clenched her jaw a bit, flicking her eyes towards Waverly before staring back up at the ceiling. “Mhm, love ya, too. Buh-bye.” She reached over, setting the phone back on the receiver to end the call and reaching with her other hand and grabbing Waverly’s wrist before she could crawl off the bed. “Uh-unh.” 

_“Really?”_

Nicole threw her a look. “Now it ain’t bloody like dat,” she huffed. 

“Oh, it’s not?” Waverly questioned with brows to her hairline. “You love your ex, but it’s _not like that?!”_

“Stop,” Nicole breathed out, shifting towards her and running her hands down the sides of her legs. “It’s- Me ‘n Shae . . . We’ve always been friends, alrigh’? ‘N even after we broke up, we stayed dat way. We didn’t end on bad term or nothin’, we jus’ . . . ended it.”

“Why?” Waverly huffed. “If you love her then why?” 

Nicole swallowed a bit. “I . . . When I got word I was deployin’ fer 18 months, I jus’- I didn’t want her stoppin’ her life fer me. And when I told ‘er, she . . .” Nicole’s voice softened but was still soaked with pain. “She told me she’d rather t’e worry on ‘er shoulders every day dat she might end up with a dead _friend_ dan a dead _girlfriend.”_

Waverly furrowed her brows at her. “That’s . . . shitty.” 

“Not really.” Nicole shrugged with a shake of her head. “She ain’t ever liked t’e fact dat I was in t’e Army. I was honestly shocked she didn’t dump me t’e second I told ‘er I was joinin’ up. She sure ripped me a new arsehole over it, but she stayed with me.” 

Waverly slowly nodded as she pieced everything together. “. . . So you _love_ her, but not in a _that_ kinda way. In a _friend_ kinda way?” 

Nicole nodded. “Dat piece o’ shite’s gotten me t’rough a whole lotta t’ings, ain’t no way I could ever forget dat.” 

Waverly let out a little breath in relief. “. . . Ok. I trust you.” 

Nicole smiled, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her lips. “T’ank ya.” 

**2:48 PM**

Waverly walked out of the bathroom, smiling with a glint in her eye that had been there since the call with Shae. She crawled back onto Nicole’s bed and straddled her lap. Nicole pulled her eyes from the TV that they had been watching all afternoon besides when they had gotten lunch at the diner, looking up at her with raised brows as she trailed her hands from her thighs to her hips. “Can I help ya?” 

She shrugged as she slid her hands down her front. “Maybe.” 

_“Maybe?”_ Nicole questioned as she sat up. She raised her brows as she tipped her head to the side. “Use yer words, Baby.” 

The confidence Waverly had pulled together before faltered under her gaze, and she swallowed as she dipped her head. Nicole tipped her chin right back up, smiling softly at her. Waverly chewed her lip, flicking her eyes down to Nicole’s tongue that was poking out slightly and speaking softly, “Can we do something?” 

“Whatdja wanna do?”

Waverly furrowed her brows tightly, letting out a breath in frustration, _“Bub.”_

Nicole slowly pulled Waverly’s grey, long-sleeved shirt out from being tucked into her black jeans, slipping her thumbs under the hem of the shirt and rubbing her bare hips. "How ya expect me ta know what ya want if ya ain't gonna tell me?" 

Waverly let out a whine. "'Cause you're supposed to be a _mind reader."_

Nicole chuckled, leaning forward and pressing her lips against her jaw, walking down to where the bone met her neck. "Well, I ain't." 

Waverly tried to hold back a shiver as she squeezed her biceps. "Baby . . ." 

"Use yer words." 

Waverly let out a soft moan when her lips met the column of her throat, whining again, _"The drawer."_

Nicole pulled back from her, raising her brows high. "T'e _drawer?"_

"Yeah," she mumbled. 

A tiny smirk worked onto Nicole's lips. "Ya wanna use somethin' in t'e drawer?" 

"Yeahh." 

Waverly's cheeks were redder than Nicole's hair and her eyes were right on the Fila logo on her t-shirt. Nicole tipped her chin up, and Waverly dropped her face forward to press against her shoulder, wrapping her arms around her neck. "Aye," Nicole mumbled, running her hand up and down her back. "Quit bein' shy. It's jus' me, Love." 

Waverly lifted her head with a sigh, sliding her hands into her hair and meeting her lips. Nicole gripped Waverly’s hips tighter as she pulled her flush against her front. Waverly pulled back after a minute, pushing their foreheads together and brushing her thumb over Nicole’s lip. “I . . .”

“Hmm?” Nicole wrapped her arms around her middle, leaning into her as she met her lips for a second. 

“I dunno, Bub,” she mumbled softly.

“Dunno what, Baby?” Nicole asked as she pulled back from her and looked her in the eye. 

“I dunno what- I’m-” Waverly swallowed, messing with the hem of Nicole’s neckline. “I don’t know about . . . stuff.” 

“I know,” Nicole said softly. “I’ma take care o’ me Waves, don’t worry.” 

“Ok,” she mumbled. “Just . . .”

“I know, Love. I’ll explain t’ings. Ain’t no rush fer anythin’.” 

Waverly smiled a little, looping her arm around her neck and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Thank you.” 

Nicole hummed when she leaned back in, letting them both fall forward onto the mattress. Waverly hooked her legs around her hips, pulling her body closer to her and feeling her eyes flutter back when Nicole snapped her hips forward against her. She let out a shaky breath as she slipped her hands in between them and grabbed her belt, pulling it loose and dropping it to the floor. Nicole slipped her hand back and pulled at Waverly’s leg, getting her to drop her legs. She lifted her body up some, slipping her tongue into her mouth as she reached in between them and popped the button of Waverly’s jeans, pushing the zipper down. Waverly lifted her hips, and Nicole nipped at her lip as she pulled them down with her underwear, sitting back off of her to tug them all the way off. 

Waverly’s stomach did flip flops just like it always did when she watched Nicole rake her eyes over her lower half. She let out a whimper and squeezed her thighs together, but Nicole let out a tut and pulled them right back open. Nicole locked eyes with her, leaning towards her and shoving her first and middle finger all the way into Waverly’s mouth. Waverly closed her eyes, pulling at her wrist as she gagged on her fingers. Nicole growled and grabbed her throat. _“Take it.”_ Waverly let out a heavy breath through her nose, letting her grip on her wrist loosen and feeling her press further down her throat. She gagged again on them, and Nicole let out a hum as she pulled them out of her mouth, dragging her fingertips across her tongue. “Good girl.”

Waverly swallowed, biting her lip when Nicole pressed them into her. _“Nic,”_ she breathed out, tipping her head back against the mattress as Nicole began to thumb her clit as she pumped in and out.

“How’s dat feel, Baby?” 

“Great,” she mumbled, fisting her hand into Nicole’s shirt.

“Mm.” Nicole leaned down and wrapped her lips around her clit for a few seconds, sucking on it and hearing the moan she let out. She moved back up to her face, grabbing the side of her neck as she pressed their lips together. “Ya like it when ya can taste yerself on me?” 

“Mhm.” 

"Mhm," Nicole mumbled back, meeting her lips for another second before sliding off of her and nudging her undone jeans down after she crawled off the bed. Nicole pulled the drawer of the dresser open, licking her lips as she looked down inside of it. 

"What's in there?" Waverly asked, pushing herself up on her elbows so she could see her a little better. 

"Heapes o' t'ings, Dear." Nicole pulled the drawer out and brought it over, setting it down on the floor by the end of the bed.

"Like what?" 

“Well take a look fer yerself,” Nicole chuckled as she took a seat on the bed.

Waverly crawled over and looked down into it, widening her eyes at the array of things and raising her brows high when she saw some things she could only assume were _Robins._ She cocked a brow, though, hooking a black leather connection of straps with her pointer finger and pulling it out, looking back at her in question. “What the _hell_ do you do with this?” 

Nicole smirked wide as she sat up and scooted behind her, wrapping an arm around her middle and pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. “Darlin’, _that_ is a _strap-on_ harness.” 

“A what?” 

Nicole smiled at her a little, almost out of awe. “Ya never heard of a strap-on?” 

“No . . .” Waverly said slowly. 

Nicole pushed off the bed and took the harness from her hand, reaching down into the drawer. “Lemme see if I can paint t’e picture fer ya den.” She pulled out a relatively all-around medium-sized dildo and shoved it through the hole in the front of the harness, turning back towards Waverly and pressing the front of the strap-on where it would be if she had it on. 

Waverly’s eyes widened and she slowly raised them back up to Nicole, her cheeks redder than hellfire. _“Oh.”_

“Ya understand now, I’d take it?” Nicole questioned with a smile.

“I-” Waverly closed her mouth, tipping her head with a tiny smirk tugging at her lips. She pulled her knees up, hugging her arms around them and resting her chin on top as she met her eyes. “Well . . . Maybe I’d, uh, understand a little more if you put it on.” 

Nicole’s eyes went as wide as saucers. “Ya want- Really?” 

“Yeah. I’m still . . . a little confused.” 

Nicole licked her lips with a slow nod. “Right.” She let out a sigh as she tossed the harness onto the bed next to her and pulled her shirt off, tossing it to the ground just as she nudged her boxers down and kicked them off. She grabbed the harness again, meeting Waverly’s gaze for a second with a sly grin as she pulled it on, tightening the straps around her hips. She looked back down at Waverly and grabbed her by the top of her shirt that was still pushed up above her breasts, pulling her to stand right in front of her. She heard her audibly swallow and tipped her head a bit as she ran her thumb across her jaw with her free hand. “How’s dat?” 

Waverly nodded quickly. "Yeah- I- Better. I get it now." 

“Ya sure?” Nicole asked, slipping her hands down to Waverly’s hips and pulling her forward so they were flush together, the dildo pressing up against her upper stomach. “‘Cause I can give ya a demonstration if ya’d like?” 

There was a _fire_ brewing in Nicole’s eyes, and Waverly wouldn’t be able to say no even if she wanted to. “I . . . Yeah.”

“Yeah?” Nicole asked, now serious as she softened her eyes and rubbed her thumbs on her hips. 

“Yeah,” she answered, smiling with an assuring nod.

Nicole grinned wolfishly, scooping her left arm under her thighs and lifting her off the ground in one motion. Waverly let out a surprised squeak, looping her arms around her neck as she was walked over to the bit of open wall between the end of her bed and the desk, quickly shoved roughly up against it. Nicole used her body and the way Waverly had her legs tightened around her hips to pin her against it as she met her lips, planting her hands against the wall by her head. Waverly moaned, slipping one hand up into the hair at the back of her head. Nicole shoved her hips forward with a roll and it was only _then_ that Waverly realized the dildo was pinned between them up against her clit. Her hand tightened into her hair, which only made Nicole buck forward.

 _“Shit,”_ Waverly breathed out when she pulled back for air and caught her dark whiskey eyes for a moment. 

Nicole met her lips again, sliding her hands down to squeeze her ass as she began a rough rhythm rolling her hips against her. “Ya like dat, huh, Princess?” Waverly’s legs gripped like a vice around Nicole’s hips with a whimper, and she chuckled against her mouth. “I’d take dat as a _yes.”_

“Mhm,” Waverly mumbled, tightening her arms around her shoulders in an attempt to pull her closer. 

Nicole rocked against her a few more times before letting out a groan and pulling her off of the wall, slipping her arm up behind her back. She quickly walked her back around her bed and tossed her onto it. She reached down into the drawer again and grabbed something before tossing it onto the bed.

Waverly looked down at what Nicole had thrown at her leg before she dropped down on top of her, feeling the nerves bubble in her stomach when she saw it was lube. Nicole leaned down onto her, pressing a kiss to the corner of her lips. “Are ya a million percent sure?” she asked softly. 

“A trillion,” Waverly answered before she comprehended that she had, and it was only then that she realized that she trusted Nicole more than she trusted herself. 

Nicole nodded, sitting up and pulling her legs over her thighs so they were spread and out of the way. She dropped some spit right onto Waverly’s clit, smirking as she tapped it with the dildo a few times. Waverly bit her lip, and Nicole met her eyes. “Ya like that?”

“Mhm,” she mumbled, moaning a little when Nicole pressed the base of the toy down as she rocked back and forth over her clit a few times. 

Nicole reached beside her for the bottle of lube and popped the cap, squirting some onto the shaft of it and spreading it around with her hand. “Let’s see now.” She spread whatever had gotten on her hand onto her first two fingers and pressed them inside of her, smirking as she pulled them out. “I t’ink we’re set, Love. Are ya good?” 

“I’m good,” she confirmed as she pulled a pillow behind her head.

“M’kay. I’ma go slow since dis is bigger dan what ya’re used ta, so jus’ lemme know if I need ta stop, aye?” 

“I will,” Waverly promised. 

Nicole nodded, grabbing the head of the dildo and rubbing it around Waverly’s entrance for a second before meeting her eyes and slowly pressing forward. Waverly’s brows scrunched together and her eyes snapped shut when the head went all the way in. “Ok?” Nicole asked softly.

“Yeah.” 

Nicole pressed in about an inch further before rocking back and pressing forward again, adding just a touch more of it. She repeated the process with the first four-ish inches before sliding one of her hands up to rest on her lower stomach as her other gripped her outer thigh when she pressed forward all the way, hearing the noise Waverly let out as she bottomed out. _“Fuck.”_

“Dat’s all, Love. Ya alrigh’?” 

“I’m good,” she breathed out, shifting a little before opening her eyes to meet Nicole’s.

Nicole nodded with a little grin, grabbing her right ankle and hooking it over her shoulder before dropping her hands to her hips. She slowly pulled out and pressed back in a couple of times before glancing up to meet Waverly’s eyes as she picked up a rhythm, hearing the soft moans and whimpers she was starting to let out. Nicole bit her lip, sliding her hands up Waverly’s stomach and pushing her shirt up some more, pinching and pulling at her nipples before palming her hands over her tits. 

_“Faster.”_

Nicole snapped her eyes up to Waverly’s, feeling the fire that shot to her core with the single word she had moaned out. A low rumble left her throat and she pressed one hand down on her inner thigh and gripped her waist with the other as she raised the speed _and_ force of her thrusts. “Dat better fer ya, Darlin’?”

 _“Fuck,_ Nic. Yes.” Waverly leaned her head back, gripping her hands into her biceps.

Nicole let out a shaky breath, tipping her head back with a groan as she snapped her hips forward roughly, rocking against her for a second before raising the pace again, sliding her hands to rest on either side of the mattress around Waverly’s body as she leaned more into her. _“Fuck.”_

“You can feel it, too?” Waverly asked, meeting her eyes as she ran a hand down her abs. 

“Uh-huh. T’e end’s pressed right up against me dere, so t’e harder I t’rust-” Nicole thrusted forward roughly in time with when she said it, “t’e more fun it is fer me.” 

Waverly moaned a little, unhooking her foot from her shoulder and dropping it back over her thigh. _“God,_ that’s hot.” 

“What is?” 

Waverly let out a shaky breath, “Just . . . _all_ of this.”

Nicole grinned wolfishly, gripping her waist hard enough to leave marks as she leaned most of her body weight onto her as she began to piston into her. Waverly let out a cry almost as loud as the sounds of their skin colliding with each of Nicole’s pumps, and Nicole’s chest heaved with the speed she was sucking in breaths. _“Bloody ‘ell.”_ She let out a groan, dropping down on top of Waverly and meeting her lips as she stayed buried inside of her. 

Waverly tangled her hand into her hair as Nicole gripped the side of her face, letting out a strangled noise as she continued to roughly roll her hips against her. “Fuck, that feels so good, Baby.” 

“Yeah?”

Waverly moaned against her mouth, looping her arms around her neck. “Yes.”

Nicole growled, grabbing her arms and pinning her wrists to the bed on either side of her head as she sat up some, beginning to pump into her again. “Ya like gettin’ fucked into t’e mattress?”

She bit back a moan, fighting against the grip on her wrists. “ _God,_ Cole.” 

Nicole let out a low hum, slowing down a bit and grabbing the bottle of lube again, pulling back and squirting some more on it before pressing right back forward. “Ya bloody better.” Nicole grabbed both of Waverly’s legs and turned her bottom half sideways, smacking her hand down onto her ass as she gripped the back of her thigh with her other hand. _“Fuck,_ I’m so glad ya like it rough, Baby.” 

Waverly laughed a little. “Would you’ve dumped me if I didn’t?”

“I mean . . . I’d be bored all t’e time, so I dunno.” 

Waverly grinned, grabbing the hand gripping her thigh and bringing it up to her throat. “Well, I can’t have my baby bored now.” 

Nicole smirked wide and devilish as she squeezed her fingers into it, not even taking into mind that the headboard was smacking against the wall a few times every second with how hard her thrusts were. “Trust me, I ain’t _ever_ bored with ya.” 

Waverly tipped her head back against the pillow with a throaty moan, squeezing her hands into the sheets. She sucked in a breath, looking back at Nicole and flicking her eyes down and watching the way her abs were straining against her skin. _“Shit.”_

Nicole spread Waverly’s legs and dropped forward on top of her again, slipping her hand on her neck behind her head and into her hair as she met her lips, keeping her thrusts going as she laid on top of her. Waverly wrapped her arms around her shoulders, tightening her nails into them and hearing Nicole moan into her mouth. Waverly only dug them in more, arching up into her when she sped her thrusts up to full speed. 

_“Nicole!”_ Waverly cried out, hooking her legs around her hips. _“Fuck!”_ She had no idea how or _when_ she had learned how to do this, but she was _not_ complaining by any means.

Nicole snapped forward a few more times before allowing herself to just roll against her with her chest heaving from exertion. “Ya alrigh’?” she questioned.. 

“Yeah. Are you?” Waverly pushed her hands through her sweaty hair to get it out of her face, trying to slow her own breathing. “It’s not hurting your leg sitting like that, is it?”

“A bit now.” Nicole sat up off of her and pulled out, rolling off the bed. “Hands ‘n knees.”

Waverly sat up and flipped over, turning sideways so her face was to the wall. Nicole grabbed her ankles and pulled her body back a bit, spreading her feet out a bit more as she stepped right behind her and smacked the toy against her ass. “Yeah?” 

“Fuck me.”

Nicole let out a low hum, slipping back inside of her and pulling her back by the hips to be flush against her. “Don’t mind if I do.” She drew a smack across her ass, gripping her fingers into it and pushing her forward and rocking her back. “Make me do all t’e work ‘n ya ain’t gonna come.” Waverly caught on, beginning to rock back against her, moaning a bit after a second. Nicole smacked her ass again and got a sharp cry, seeing the red handprint in its wake when she pulled her hand back. _“Good girl.”_ She began to meet her with some thrusts, sliding her hand down Waverly’s back and pressing her face into the mattress. “Ya like it when I take ya from t’e back?” She gripped her hips, continuing to pull her back into each of her deep thrusts. 

“Uh-huh,” Waverly breathed out as she fisted her hands into the sheets, nudging her glasses up with her wrist. 

“Mhm.” 

Waverly looked back at her just as Nicole leaned forward, wrapping her hands around the tops of her shoulders. _“Nic!”_

“Ya like dat?” 

_“Fuck,_ don’t stop- Just like that.” Nicole kept her pumps constant, smirking wide at the moans and whines that were tumbling out of Waverly’s mouth. “Oh my _God- Fuck,_ Nic, you’re gonna make me come.” 

Nicole slipped one hand back, drawing a loud smack across her ass as she stood back up straighter. “Am I?” Waverly muffled another cry as she pushed her face into the mattress, but Nicole slipped her hand down her back and grabbed her shirt in her fist, pulling her top half up off the bed so she was upright. Waverly let out a surprised shriek, trying to grab for something before realizing that Nicole had a good enough hold of her, so she knew her face wasn’t going to be going _anywhere_ near that mattress anytime soon. Nicole pulled her closer towards her with a bend of her arm. _“Don’t_ fuckin’ shove yer face away so I can’t hear ya, do ya understand me?” Waverly let out a whimper, and Nicole snapped her hips forward with a growl, sliding her other hand up to her throat. _“Understand?”_

Waverly’s eyes rolled back, and she sucked in a breath to replace what she had just moaned out. _“Yes.”_ She adjusted on her knees so she was a little more steady as Nicole continued to pummel into her with increasing force, her heavy breaths and groans that she was trying to hold in seeming to be a lot easier to notice when she was this close to her face. Waverly bit her lip, letting out a moan from deep within her chest when she slipped her hand down and started rubbing her clit, feeling her abs jump a few times. “Nic, don’t-” She closed her eyes as she spun her finger around quickly, letting out a shaky breath.

“Come fer me, Wave,” Nicole muttered near her ear as she pressed her lips against her neck.

Her eyes squeezed together even harder for a few seconds as she sped up the roll of her finger, finally flipping over the edge and feeling her back arch. Nicole tightened her grip on both her throat and the shirt she was gripping onto for dear life, licking her lips with a couple of heaved breaths as she pounded into her with everything she had left in her and letting out a strangled moan as she came within seconds of her. She rocked against Waverly with her hips jerking forward a few times involuntarily before letting out a shaky breath when it passed. Nicole dropped her hand from Waverly’s neck and wrapped her arm around her front, letting go of her shirt and doing the same with that arm as she kept the toy buried inside of her. 

She rested her chin on Waverly’s shoulder as they both caught their breaths, and she finally got enough energy back to move one arm back to grab the base of the toy as she pulled out of her. Waverly shuddered a bit, and Nicole swung her body around to flop down on the bed. Waverly dropped down onto her stomach next to her after she had moved over, letting out a heavy breath. 

“. . . Dere’s me cardio fer t’e next few days,” Nicole mumbled after a minute.

Waverly moved her head to rest on the pillow she was on, giggling a little as she ran her hand across her sweat-covered stomach and feeling her abs twitch under her fingers. “You’re frickin’ drenched, Babe.” 

“Aye. It’s hard work ridin’ yer bloody arse, ya know it?” 

“Oh, I do know it.” She scooted closer to Nicole and rested her head on her shoulder, leaning her face forward to press a kiss to her lips. She pulled back and hummed as she pat her chest. “You’ve got some good stamina, Bub.”

“Why, t’ank ya,” she chuckled as she flipped to her side. “I _did_ used ta run a 5k every mornin’ in t’e Army, so I ain’t shocked I still got it in me.” 

“Oo,” Waverly mumbled with a grin as she flipped to face her. “That’s hot. What else d’you do?”

Nicole hummed as she pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, nudging Waverly’s glasses up her nose for her. “500 push-ups, 500 sit-ups, ‘n 100 pull-ups a day.”

“A _day?”_ she asked with wide eyes.

Nicole smirked, cocking her body to the side and running her hand down her abs. “Where ya t’ink dese came from? Surely dey ain’t fall outta t’e sky.” She lifted her arm and flexed, grinning when Waverly reached out and grabbed onto it as she did so. “Same with dese.” 

“How big _were_ you?” she questioned. “‘Cause you’re still fuckin’-” She traced her eyes over her toned body. _“Jacked.”_

“Ya’d pass out if ya seen me right before I deployed, I’ll tell ya dat.” 

Waverly blinked at her with wide eyes for a few seconds. “. . . Well now I need to.” 

Nicole laughed a little, rolling over her and sitting up. She scooted towards the drawer, somehow pulling a manilla envelope out that Waverly had definitely _not_ seen sitting in there with all of that. She looked into it and sorted through everything that was inside before handing Waverly a picture with a smirk. 

Waverly traced her wide eyes over the picture. Nicole was sitting on some sort of box outside in just some camo pants, combat boots, and a sports bra with dog tags dangling from her neck. She was leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and not looking at the camera, but it left the perfect view of the way her arms and shoulders were sculpted and how toned her abs were. 

_“Holy fuck.”_

Nicole took the picture back with a chuckle, shaking her head at the look on her face. “None o’ dem guys fucked with me, I’ll tell ya dat.”

“Well, I can see wh-”

_“HAUGHT!”_

Both of their heads snapped towards the door when Dolls’ voice boomed through it. Nicole looked down at herself, letting out a curse as she pulled at the straps that were still on her, but Waverly just threw the blanket over her lap and jumped off the bed, pulling her underwear on as she walked over to the door, cracking it open after she fixed her shirt. “Hi . . .” 

Dolls pushed into the room, and she let out a gasp, pulling her shirt down as Nicole tossed the pillow on top of the drawer on the ground and leaned her back against the wall casually with the blanket covering her lower half. “Can we help ya?” 

“Do you know _just_ how loud you two were just being?!” he asked with a wide-eyed glare that was flicked equally between them. 

Waverly gave him a toothy smile, trying to pull her jeans on as quickly as possible. “Judging by your face, I’m gonna guess pretty loud?” 

“I could hear you _from my room!”_

“And?” Nicole asked boredly. 

“I live _six doors down_ from you!” 

“Ya know, I’m still not seein’ a problem,” Nicole sighed. 

Dolls glared at her, and it wiped the smirk from her face. “Do you know _how_ many people I have to yell at to stop having _really fucking loud_ sex every day?

“Horny college students mixed with other horny college students-” Nicole tapped her chin. “I’m gonna go with a lot.”

_“Every goddamn day.”_

“Don’t you have classes, though?” Waverly asked with a cocked brow. 

_“Not the point,”_ he growled. “If other people on this floor _weren’t_ out getting drunk at, like, _1 PM_ for the holiday, you would have gotten _so_ many noise complaints, and quite frankly, I don’t know _why_ you’re showcasing your sex life considering what happened during Harvest Fest.” 

“Christ, ya really know how ta crash a party, don’t ya?” Nicole mumbled with a cross of her arms. 

“It’s my _job,”_ he grumbled. 

“Ya ever made it a t’reesome doin’ _yer job?”_ Nicole asked with a grin. 

Dolls sucked in a loud, annoyed breath. _“I swear to God,_ Haught.” 

She put her hands up. “Aye, I’m jus’-”

“Did I hear t’reesome?” 

They all looked towards the door as Robin walked in with Jeremy on his back, Robin with only a _slightly_ scary grin on his face. Nicole rolled her eyes. “Keep it in yer pants, Jett.” 

**6:17 PM**

“Ya’re pretty,” Nicole mumbled with a hum as she propped her chin up on Waverly’s chest.

Waverly pulled the joint from her lips and looked down at her with a soft smile. “Thank you, Bub.” 

“Ya’re pretty, too,” Robin said as he looked at Jeremy next to him from his spot laying like a starfish in the middle of the floor. 

“I know,” Jeremy smiled, curling further into his side and rubbing his thumb across his bare stomach.

Nicole lifted her head off of Waverly to take a puff off the joint before handing it to Robin on the floor. “We’re done fer now.” 

“Mhmm,” Waverly hummed as she slowly ran her fingers through Nicole’s hair. “I feel like Snoop Dogg right about now.” 

“Good fer ya, Babycakes,” Robin said as he took a pull or two. “Ya both sucked down half dis joint by yerselves, so I ain’t too shocked.” 

“I’ve got dem big ol’ lungs, Robbie,” Nicole reminded, turning her head sideways on Waverly’s chest to look at him. “Ain’t my fault.” 

Robin just hummed in response since he was lost in thought, handing the joint over to Jeremy. “. . . I know me pop’s kinda a dick sometimes, but it’s nice ta talk ta him every once ‘n a while.”

Nicole nodded. “I miss goin’ over ta yer house on t’e weekends ‘n playin’ rugby with you, Chicken, ‘n Reggironi.”

“Awe, we should called Noah,” Robin suggested. “Have a whole ass family day.”

“Ya realize it’s, like, one in t’e morin’ over dere right now, don’t ya?”

“Yer tellin’ me him ‘n Connor aren’t up right now? Doin’ . . . unspeakable acts.”

Nicole nodded a bit. “Ya’ve gotta point. Shae told me ta give ‘em a ring earlier anyhow.” 

_“Shae?”_ Robin questioned quickly, lifting his head to look right at her. 

“She called earlier,” Waverly informed. “We only talked to her for a little bit, though.” 

“Oh,” Robin mumbled. “Still. How’s she doin’?”

Nicole shrugged a bit. “Alrigh’. Sounded like she’s busy with ‘er studies fer t’e most part” 

“She’s on t’e road ta bein’ a doctor or some shite, ain’t she?” he asked as Jeremy wiggled the joint out from in between his fingers. 

“She is, yeah.” Nicole sat up off of Waverly, smiling as she leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. “Ya t’ink I should give me baby brother a call?” 

“He’s yer Irish twin, Corporal,” Robin laughed. 

“Still acts like a baby,” she shrugged, looking down at Waverly with a raise of her brows. “So . . . should we.” 

Waverly ran her hands up and down her sides with a smile. “Whatever you wanna do is fine, Bub. It doesn’t make no difference to me.” 

Nicole giggled, pressing a few more pecks to Waverly’s lips before reaching over and sliding the phone box towards her, punching in the number. She put it on speaker and shifted her body to lean back against the headboard, grabbing Waverly and dragging her up to sit sideways in her lap. Waverly grabbed Nicole’s quilt and wrapped it around herself, relaxing with her head leaning against Nicole’s shoulder as the phone rang a few more times before picking up. 

“It’s one in t’e _bloody_ mornin’, so whoever ya are, yer a piece o’ _shite_ fer ringin’ me dis late.”

“Well, dat ain’t no way ta greet yer sister,” Nicole mumbled. 

“Wh- Tiny?” 

“Sup, ya Cunt Nugget,” she chuckled. 

Noah laughed a little. “I’m alrigh’. How are ya?” 

“I’m good. Also stoned. Also with Robbie ‘n both o’ our mots.” 

“Hey!” Jeremy whined. “I’m not a _girl!”_

“Such a big strong not-girl,” Robin cooed as he ran his fingers through his Jeremy’s curls.

“Oo, t’e whole gang, I see,” Noah said with a hum. “Connor’s ‘ere with me, by t’e way.” 

“I knew ya weren’t bloody sleepin,” Robin said with a laugh. 

“Ya surely interrupted us, t’ough,” he grumbled. 

“Aw, Connor, didja have a dick up yer arse ‘fore I called?” Nicole asked as she pouted her lip in mock sadness. 

“We were switchin’ t’ings up, fer yer information,” Connor grumbled. 

_“Oooooo!”_ Nicole teased. “Chicken hadda dick up his arse!” 

“Shut up, ya git,” Noah grumbled. “I know damn well ya’re a pussy bottom sometimes.” 

Nicole let out a hum with a raise of her brows. “Aye, Baby, did I bottom fer ya today?” 

Waverly giggled as she pressed her lips against her cheek. “You definitely did not.” 

Jeremy let out a gag. “Judging by the strap-on laying in your sink that scared me when I went in there last, I can also second that you did _not,_ in fact, bottom today.” 

“So Robbie,” Connor started. “Tell us ‘bout yer new boy, aye? First either o’ us are hearin’ anyting ‘bout him.” 

Jeremy propped up his chin on Robin’s chest to look him in the face expectantly. Robin just grinned back. “His name’s Jeremy.”

“Hi!” Jeremy said excitedly. “I’m Jeremy!” 

“Hiya, Jeremy!” Noah laughed.

“He’s turning 19 here in a couple weeks.”

 _“Ooh!”_ Connor teased. “Got yerself a youngin, huh?”

“I might be young, but I’m, like, basically an intellectual prodigy,” Jeremy said, smirking at Robin. “He likes me for my big brains.”

“And yer big arse,” Robin added, avoiding Jeremy’s attempts to hit him.

“He as smart as Jelly?” Noah questioned.

“He could probably blow up the entire campus if he wanted to,” Waverly said with a chuckle, raising her brows at all of them when they didn’t find what she had said as funny.. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. He’s _literally_ told me how he’d do it.” 

Jeremy nodded. “I forgot about that. Yeah, I definitely could if I wanted to.” 

“Ya don’t wanna, though, do ya?” Robin asked cautiously.

“Not recently, no.” 

Waverly looked between Nicole and Robin with a raise of her brows and a smirk. “You’ve both got the same type, huh?”

“Darlin, ya remember how I’m a ragin’ homosexual, right?” Nicole asked with a hitch of her lip. 

“Yes, Honey. I know,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “But you both like the younger super brains, though.” 

“Yer brain’s bloody _sexy,_ so I guess dat’s a yes,” Nicole said with a smirk as she rocked her a bit and pressed a kiss to her jaw.

“How young are ya, Waverly?” Noah questioned.

“I just turned 19 in September- Wait, why do you know my name already?” She narrowed her eyes at Nicole with a smirk curving her lips. “You’ve talked about me to him, haven’t you?” 

Nicole’s cheeks went red and she flicked her eyes away from her for a moment. “Maybe.”

“I was dere!” Robin said with a grin. “She definitely did.”

“Lovely . . . What’d you tell him?” 

“Only dat yer jus’ a wee ting ‘n dat she was all hot ‘n bothered over ya,” Noah said. “She was maybe also lookin’ fer some advice.” 

“For what?” Waverly questioned, raising her brows as she looked back towards Nicole. 

“After ya got pissed at me fer bangin’ up Chump,” she mumbled. “‘Cause I t’ought ya hated me.” 

“Aye, has dat bugger been stirrin’ up anymore shite?” Noah asked. “‘Cause I’ll puck ‘em meself if he is.”

“Not much, nah,” Nicole said with a slow grin pushing onto her lips. “Not after we got into it ‘n I really fucked ‘em up.” 

“Did ya really?” 

“She did,” Waverly mumbled. “And it scared the _hell_ out of me.” 

“Aye,” Nicole mumbled as she squeezed her tighter. “I came outta it alrigh’.” 

“Yes, your lip was split, you had a big gash in your cheek, and Robin had to drag you to the dorms before campus security got there, but _sure,_ you were alright.” 

“Feckin’ aye, Waverly,” Noah chuckled. “Get in dat hard ass head of her’s.”

“Yeah, I’m trying to,” she grumbled as she smacked her chest with the back of her hand. Nicole pressed more kisses to the side of her face as she rocked her again, and Waverly relaxed back against her with a sigh. She turned her head and allowed her to press a kiss to her lips, nipping hard at her lip before she could pull away, though.

 _“Ow,”_ she whined.

“That’s what you get,” she grumbled with a grin.

“How come when _Robbie_ beats someone up, he gets kisses, but when _I_ beat someone up, I get hit _and_ bit?” Nicole groaned.

Jeremy grinned, leaning up to kiss him for a long moment. “Because he told me if he ever met Bailey he’d beat him up and then he actually did. He kept his word, and I greatly approved of him beating the shit out of him.”

“Anytime, Shorty.” 

Waverly looked pointedly at Nicole. “And I didn’t want you to beat Champ up, did I?”

“Well he don’t bother ya no more, does he?” Nicole asked, raising a brow.

She pursed her lips, leaning her head back on her shoulder. “No.” 

Nicole slipped her arms under her quilt and gave her butt a pinch. “Didn’t t’ink so.” 

“I ain’t sayin’ I _wouldn’t_ o’ beat t’e snot outta t’e bastard,” Noah reasoned. “But, Tiny, ya really do need ta be careful with what ya do ‘n don’t do. Not jus’ yer knee ‘n shite, but ya ain’t need ta get kicked outta dere fer fightin’.” 

“I know, Chicken,” Nicole sighed. “It ain’t me goal ta fuck with people. Dat’s t’e last resort.” 

“Alrigh’, good,” Noah mumbled. “‘Cause I ain’t want-” He paused, and they all heard the distant sound of a knock at his bedroom door. “Hold on.” 

The line was silent for a few seconds and Robin looked up at Nicole from his spot on the floor. “Hope dat ain’t Nicolas.” 

“Lord help him if it is,” she mumbled with a clenched jaw. 

A bed squeaked with the sound of someone dropping back down onto it, and Nicole’s ears immediately picked up on the familiar sniffle. She grabbed the phone box and pulled it onto her lap with a furrow of her brows.

“I hadda nightmare.”

“Ya hadda nightmare?” Noah repeated softly. “‘Bout what?”

“‘Bout Cole ‘n t’e bad people.”

Nicole squeezed her eyes shut as her knuckles went white gripping the side of the phone box. “Aye, Babygirl.” 

She heard a soft gasp and the sound of movement against the microphone. “Cole?” Naomi asked softly, her voice now closer. 

“Hiya, Sweetie,” she mumbled. “What’re ya doin’ dreamin’ ‘bout all dat fer?” 

“I ain’t _mean_ ta,” she whined. 

“I know ya ain’t,” Nicole sighed. “Are ya alrigh’?” 

_“No.”_

Nicole furrowed her brow, running her thumb over Waverly’s hand when she had grabbed it so her grip loosened from its crushing force on the phone box. “Why not?” 

“‘Cause ya ain’t home ‘n ya ain’t gonna be forever.” 

“Babygirl, I told ya. I’m comin’ home at Christmas. Dat’s only a wee bit over a month away.”

Naomi sniffled again, and Nicole leaned her head back against the wall with a sigh. Noah cleared his throat a little. “Aye, Honey. How ‘bout I get ya back in bed, yeah? Ma’ll beat me if ya’re up all night.” 

“Noo,” she whined. “I wanna talk with Cole.” 

“I’ll call again later dis week, Love,” Nicole promised. “We can talk fer as long as ya want den.” 

“But-” 

“Go back ta bed, Babygirl. Ya can get one o’ the blankies off me bed if ya want.” 

Naomi let out a little huff. “Mam said we ain’t allowed ta touch any of yer-” 

“I’m givin’ ya permission. It’s alrigh’.” 

“Ok,” she mumbled. “I love ya.” 

“I love ya, too. G’night, Sweetheart.” 

“Ni’ night,” she mumbled before Noah ushered her back out of the room. 

Nicole shook her head with a sigh as she moved the phone box back onto the nightstand, and Waverly pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, feeling her body lose some tension under her. Noah returned after a minute and Nicole looked back towards the phone. “Chicken.”

“Huh?” 

“Tell me why she’s comin’ to ya with ‘er nightmares ‘stead o’ Mam?” A few seconds of silence passed over the line and Nicole clenched her jaw. “It’s ‘cause he’s in dat bloody room, too, ain’t it?” 

“Nic . . . She jus’ ain’t like talkin’ with him all dat much.”

 _“Noah.”_ Nicole’s voice was sharp and in warning. “Don’t lie ta me.” 

Noah let out a curse under his breath. “He wakes t’e whole feckin’ house up yellin’ at ‘er fer wakin’ ‘em up over _stupid nightmares_ as he calls it, Nicole. Is dat what ya wanna hear?” 

Nicole’s eyes burned holes into the phone. “God damn, is it his fuckin’ mission ta make sure all his kids’re scared of ‘em?”

“‘Parently.”

“How much does he get on ‘er?” she questioned. 

“Too bloody much.”

“Fer _what?_ She ain’t do _nothin’_ wrong,” Nicole huffed. 

“Fer cryin’ mostly. He hates it.” 

Nicole swallowed the anger in her throat as she thought back to times when she was younger. Those _specific_ times when she was crying when she was younger. “Noah . . . _Don’t_ tell me he’s ever laid a hand on ‘er ‘cause I swear ta _God_ I’ll put a fuckin’ bullet t’rough his skull.”

Noah let out a heated huff. “If yer askin’ me if he’s changed, den no. He hasn’t. Ain’t nobody allowed to bloody cry ‘round him unless dey wanna get popped.” 

Nicole’s face was almost purple with anger and there was a vein on her forehead that was popping out. She was about to say something else, but Waverly ran her hand down the side of her face as she tipped her head towards her. “Take a breath,” she whispered. “You’re not gonna be able to change any of his ways, you know that.” Nicole let out a shaky breath, loosening her rough grip on the side of her thigh and pressing her forehead against Waverly’s temple. 

“She’s right, Nic,” Robin mumbled. “Ya know how he is. It’s destined ta happen whether ya like it or not.” 

“It’s bloody bullshite,” she muttered. 

“I know it is,” Noah, Robin, _and_ Waverly said at once. 

“Trust me, Tiny,” Noah mumbled. “I get her outta t’e house as much as I can when she’s sad. We’ll just go on walks t’rough the woods ‘n back to our play area until she’s calmed down.” 

Nicole smiled a little at that, letting out a breath that was filled with the majority of the anger that was left in her system. “Yer a good big brother, ya know it?” 

“I try me best,” he said with a chuckle. “Ain’t ever gonna be as good of a big sister dat you are, t’ough.” 

“Aw,” she cooed. “Dat’s sweet, Chicken.” 

“Ok, I’ve gotta question,” Jeremy sighed.

“What’s dat?” Nicole questioned. 

“Why do you call him Chicken? And why’s he call you Tiny? You’re not tiny by any means. No offense.”

Nicole and Noah both chuckled, and she looked towards the phone. _“Well._ I call Chicken _Chicken_ ‘cause, as ya all know, me family owns a butcher’s shop and . . . uh, well, I was an evil seven year old who knew _damn_ well me brother was scared o’ the chickens. So, I, uh, used ta catch ‘em and chase him around with ‘em, making him t’e _chicken_ afraid of _chickens.”_

“Yer bloody evil, Nic,” Noah muttered.

She laughed with a shake of her head. “Why ya call me Tiny, Chicken?” 

“It may shock ya, but compared ta me, she’s feckin’ tiny,” Noah laughed. “I’m 6’11.” 

“Holy _shit,”_ Jeremy gawked. “How tall _is_ your family?” 

“Too feckin’ tall,” Nicole laughed. “Let’s see . . . Nicolas is seven foot ‘n me ma is 5’9, so dey both pretty much gave us all t’e tall genes-”

“Not Nate,” Noah snorted.

Nicole let out a bark of laughter. “Poor fecker’s only 5’11 at 18. I hope he stays dere, too.” 

“Ahh,” Noah breathed out. “Alrigh’, continue.” 

“Ok . . . So Niall’s 6’1ish at almost 15- His birthday’s next week. Nolan is 5’7 at 13-”

“Nah. He jus’ hit 5’9,” Noah corrected.

“What?” Nicole questioned. “He was 5’7 when I left.” 

“Guess he musta sprouted den, I dunno.” 

“I don’t appreciate that a 13 year old is an inch taller than me,” Jeremy mumbled. “I don’t care that my mother was a 5’2 Indian woman and yours was 5’9 Irish giant, that’s still not fair.” 

Nicole shook her head at him with a chuckle. “Poor Jer Bear. Maybe ya’ll get lucky ‘n hit another growth spurt fer yer birthday,” she teased, earning nothing but an annoyed look from Jeremy. “Well, . . . Blue’s 5’5 at 11 and Jelly’s 5’3 at _nine.”_

“Alright, _no._ There’s _no way_ I’m the size of your nine year old brother,” Waverly huffed. 

“Yes, Ma’am, you are.” 

“What, lemme guess. Naomi’s already 5’2 at six?” she asked with a huff.

“Actually, no,” Nicole mumbled. “She’s only around 3’4ish. She’s six, but ‘round t’e size of a four year old. Ain’t no one can figure out why considerin’ t’e size o’ our family.” She shrugged. “She’s fine, t’ough. Jus’ a wee t’ing.” 

“T’e cutest lil wee t’ing,” Robin added. 

“I second dat,” Connor agreed. 

Nicole put a hand to her chest. “Wow, guys. I’m flattered. She looked jus’ like I did when I was dat sized.”

“Shut t’e fuck up, ya gobshite,” Noah huffed. “We were havin’ a moment.”

“Alrigh’, now wait.” Robin looked down at Jeremy. “How t’e fuck are ya 5’8 if yer ma was only 5’2?”

Jeremy shrugged with a small grin. “Typically how genetics work is that you get genes from your mom _and_ your dad, so just because my mom was short, it doesn’t mean my dad was _also_ short. Even if I don’t know who he is, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist.” 

Robin blinked at him for a few seconds before looking away from him with a sigh. “I didn’t t’ink ‘bout dat.” 

Jeremy chuckled, pushing himself up his body to press a kiss to his cheek. “It’s okay, Babu. I also don’t think about him.” 

“Awe, we’re inna room full o’ daddy issues,” Nicole cooed.

“Aye, over ‘ere, too,” Connor chuckled. 

“Aye, Connor, if I’m rememberin’ correctly, ya had a _different_ kinda daddy issues when we were together,” Robin smirked.

“I’m gonna puck ya ta Russia, Jett,” Connor muttered in annoyance.

Jeremy sat up and slapped Robin’s bare chest. “I forgot you . . . _shtupped_ her brother’s boyfriend.”

“Ow!” he whined, rolling onto his side and guarding his chest. “Was dat really necessary?”

 _“Uh oh,_ trouble in paradise,” Connor mumbled. “Guess dat’s payback, huh?” 

“Yeah, _Robin,_ that’s what you get for kink shaming,” Waverly said with a smirk. 

Robin raised a brow. “Want me ta kink shame ya too, Miss _Choke Me Daddy?”_

Waverly threw him a look as her cheeks burned bright red. “Har har. You stole that joke from Rosita.”

“Ya make fun o’ me mot, I ain’t afraid to mention how ya’ve been tryin’ ta get Jer Bear ta choke ya fer weeks now ‘n he won’t.” 

“Oo, _burn,”_ Connor laughed. 

“Gotten Noah ta pull out t’e belt on ya yet, bud?” Robin countered. 

Jeremy’s eyes widened. _“Excuse_ me?” 

“Ya’re excused,” Robin said, propping his head up on his hand and smirking at Jeremy. “Gonna do someting ‘bout dat, Baby?”

Jeremy sat back and crossed his arms. “No.”

Robin frowned. “Why not?” he whined.

“Because you’re in a room with other people perhaps?” Waverly suggested. 

“I beggith ya, Jer. Don’t ya _dare_ do anythin’ ‘bout it,” Nicole mumbled.

 _“Lord,_ t’e four o’ ya are a mess,” Noah sighed. “I ain’t sure how ya’re gonna be able ta manage yer kinks from different continents.” 

Waverly let out a huff in offense. “Ok, I _think_ I can manage not getting choked for, like, two weeks while Nic’s gone.”

Jeremy frowned, moving back to Robin and taking his hand. “I forgot you’re leaving for Christmas break. I’m gonna miss you.” 

Robin sat up suddenly, looking at Nicole with panic on his face, though he didn’t say anything. She swallowed, shifting uncomfortably as a pound of guilt dropped into her stomach. Waverly flicked her eyes from the pale, nervous look on Nicole’s face to the sadness on Robin’s. She took into account the silence coming from the phone and met Jeremy’s eyes, seeing that he had spotted the same red flags that she had. She sat up off of Nicole and met her eyes for a moment. “Ok . . . You both aren’t telling us something.” 

“What’s going on, Babu?” Jeremy asked, lacing his fingers with Robin’s. “Babu?”

Nicole cleared her throat a bit. “Uhm . . .” She looked towards the phone and scooted the box closer to her. “Goddammit, Noah. I’ll chew yer arse out later, I gotta go.”

“Sorry, Tiny,” he muttered before she slammed the phone back down onto the box and turned back to the three sets of eyes that were set on her. 

“We’ve been meanin’ ta talk ta ya ‘bout dis fer a while now, but it just never seemed like a good time,” she explained, glancing towards Robin in hopes that he wouldn’t make her explain it by herself.

“We were worried it’d ruin everyting if ya knew da truth. ‘N we ain’t got dat much time left, so we wanted to make as much o’ it happy as we could in case . . .” 

“In case we weren’t super happy about finding out that you’re-” Waverly choked on her words and pushed off of Nicole’s lap, scooting towards the end of the bed. “That you’re not coming back next semester?”

“No. No.” Jeremy pulled his hand away from Robin’s to cover his face. “I’m gonna throw up.”

“Jer-”

“Tell me it’s not true,” he whispered, looking into Robin’s eyes as his bottom lip quivered. “Tell me it’s not _true,_ Robin!”

Robin flicked his eyes down to his lap as he swallowed. “I’m sorry . . . But I can’t tell ya dat, Shorty. I told ya I’d never lie ta ya, ‘n I would be if I told ya we weren’t goin’ back to Dublin fer school next semester.” Robin reached out to put a hand on Jeremy’s arm, but he flinched away. “Our exchange was only ever meant ta be a semester. Dat’s all me scholarship pays fer.” 

Waverly shook her head and pulled her knees to her chest, curling up at the foot of Nicole’s bed. Nicole’s heart shattered and she gently scooted closer to her. “Baby-” 

Waverly smacked her hand away. “Don’t _fucking_ touch me!” The tears were rolling down her face as she met the pain in Nicole’s eyes with the anger in her own. “What the _hell-_ Why?! Why didn’t you tell me?!- Why didn’t _either_ of you tell us?!”

“Waves . . .” Jeremy said softly in hopes to try and calm her down

“We didn’t wanna hurt ya,” Nicole mumbled softly.

“Yeah, well, I think we’re pretty _fucking_ hurt, Nicole!” She shook her head around, climbing off of the bed and pacing to the other side of the room. “God, I can’t even look at you.” 

“Hey.” Jeremy stood on shaking legs from his spot on the floor and made his way to her, hugging her to his chest and burying his face in her hair. “I feel like we need to go.” 

Waverly sucked in a breath as she nodded. “I- I need air, or- or booze, or maybe to just get away from _her.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao come at me below
> 
> honestly, we both edited these chaps, but we're both fucking dumb, dyslexic, and Grammerly AND Google doesn't know how to underline all typos, AND also it's almost 2 AM, so if there was typos, whoopsies


	30. I'll Even Let Ya Wear Me Clothes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 🎵is it too late to apologizeeee🎵

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey there, hello  
> idk I'm tired, we're both tired, if the editing isn't super great, we're tired lmao  
> enjoy the read

**Saturday, November 20th, 1993 6:30 AM**

Jeremy was already staring at the alarm clock when it went off. He’d been awake since he woke up to the sound of Waverly sniffling in her sleep earlier in the morning just like he had every day for the eight mornings before that one.

He’d gotten used to waiting until she was completely asleep again before having his own nightly breakdown over the fact that he hadn’t been able to do more than look at Robin from the distance of their Calc or Astronomy classes, or the awkward passing in hallways where they both walked significantly faster than they normally did. 

Waverly whined half-asleep and he shut off the alarm so she didn’t wake up all the way. She needed all the sleep she could get. 

He pulled on a Batman hoodie that he’d practically lived in since everything had happened. Wearing Robin’s clothes just made his heart hurt and anytime he’d accidentally grab something of his he’d almost immediately get overly emotional and decide to skip whatever class he was supposed to be going to. 

Despite the fact that his eyes were almost swollen shut from having at least one panic attack a day, he was better off than Waverly was. 

She’d showered once because Chrissy shoved her into the bathroom and sat on the floor next to the shower the entire time coaching her through general cleanliness. Even then, her hair was unbrushed and she kept it up in a messy bun most of the time to avoid having to deal with it like she had been doing with pretty much everything else. 

They were lucky if they could persuade her to go to more than one class a day, and she’d had to cancel all of her tutoring sessions because the one time she’d try to go to one, Nicole had shown up in the library to do some homework and Waverly had burst into tears and ran into a bookshelf trying to leave before Nicole saw her. 

Between her sadness and her anger, Waverly was becoming difficult to deal with, even for Chrissy, who’d seen her through pretty much every bad thing that had ever happened to her.

Jeremy felt bad for not being more helpful in the situation, but at the same time, the only reason he was still avoiding Robin was because him and Waverly had agreed not to go back to them and anytime he suggested reaching out she’d get angry and threaten to kick him out of her dorm for betraying her. 

Sure, he was mad at them for not telling them the full truth of the situation, but if they really were leaving, he felt their time was better spent living their last month together and trying to enjoy their time rather than avoiding each other and being angry. 

He slipped out of the dorm and took the elevator down to the first floor. It took him a few moments to brace for the impact every time he tried the door handle to see if Robin and Nicole and Robin’s dorm was unlocked. 

It always was. Robin made sure to leave it open, especially now that Jeremy needed to get in to feed Alfred in the mornings. 

He made quick work of it, whispering good morning and goodbye to Alfred, and doing his best not to look around the dorm because the few times he made that mistake he ended up crying all the way to the Muffin Man. 

That was how Rosita had found out about the entire situation. 

He also got a free coffee that morning. 

This time, though, he walked in to see the same pitiful look on her face that she’d given him every time she saw him. 

“Morning!” she said, feigning cheerfulness. 

“Hi,” he said bluntly. 

“How’d you sleep?” she asked, already starting three coffees for him, Waverly, and Chrissy. 

He shrugged. “Didn’t.”

“Yeah, I can see that…” 

Something clattered to the floor in the kitchen and Jeremy tensed, trying not to think about the fact that it had been Robin who’d dropped it. 

“He misses you,” she said softly, reaching across the counter and taking Jeremy’s hand. “He asks how you are every time you leave.”

Jeremy closed his eyes, willing the tears back. They fell anyway and he let out a shaky sigh. “Waverly would never forgive me if I went back to him.”

“Why’s that matter? I mean, if you really care about him-”

He glared at her and pulled his hand back. “Because Robin’s only here for another month and Waverly’s here forever. I can’t lose her to someone I’ll never see again when Christmas break comes around.” 

Rosita pursed her lips and moved back to the coffees. “You’re going to regret ending things like this.”

He brushed the tears off his face. “I wish I could say you were wrong.” 

She sighed and set all of his coffees into a drink carrier and grabbed a few doughnuts out of the case. “How’s Waverly?”

“Bad. Getting worse by the day. Chrissy’s tired of it and I don’t blame her. If you think being around me right now is bad, you should try and be around both of us.” He handed her the money for everything and shoved his wallet into his pocket. “I don’t even wanna be around myself right now.” 

“Rosie!” Robin yelled, shoving the door open and freezing. He started at Jeremy wide-eyed and swallowed. There were large bags under his eyes and his hair was unkempt. “I’m going on me break in a minute unless ya need anyting else.” His voice was hoarse and ragged and his eyes never left Jeremy.

It’d been days since he’d let himself look in Jeremy’s direction because anytime he did his heart shattered a little more. He’d gone as far as to make sure he was the first one in and the last one out of any classes that they shared together so he didn’t have to risk being in the same general area as him. 

Seeing him with tears on his face and his lips raw and bloodstained from chewing them so much was not how he’d wanted to see him ever. Looking at Jeremy so sad just tore him up on the inside.

He ran a hand over his face and contemplated just going back into the kitchen. He glanced at the shocked look on Rosita’s face as she looked between them and shifted on his feet before hopping over the counter and pulling Jeremy into a tight hug. 

Jeremy wrapped his arms around Robin’s waist, gripping his shirt as he cried into his apron. Robin held him close and rested his face on the top of Jeremy’s head, feeling tears slip down his own face and into Jeremy’s hair. He closed his eyes, willing everything to just slow down for a minute so he didn’t have to let go, but the world was never that kind.

Jeremy pulled away, wiping his face with his sleeves. “Sorry…” he mumbled, collecting his things and leaving before Robin could think of anything he could say to make the situation better. 

Robin ran a hand through his hair and went back into the kitchen, flipping a large metal mixing bowl off the closest counter and punching the wall. “Fuck all of dis!” he yelled, throwing a box of knives across the room. 

“Hey!” Rosita screamed before he could throw anything else. “Pick everything up and calm down or get out.” 

For a moment he thought about choosing the second option and trying to catch up with Jeremy, but the logical part of his brain knew that was not the best idea while he was so upset. 

“Sorry,” he said quietly. 

Rosita sighed, rubbing his back. “It’s okay. You’re going through a lot.”

“I jus’ feel so bad fer hurtin’ both o’ dem so much. I mean, ya saw him! I told him I’d do me best ta never hurt him ‘n I fucked it up jus’ like I do everyting else.” He jumped up onto the counter and pulled his knees to his chest. “Nic’s bloody devastated too, ‘n I’m so busy bein’ pissed at meself dat I can’t help her t’rough dis any more dan I’m helpin’ meself, which ain’t a whole lot if ya can’t tell by all t’e knives on t’e floor over dere.” 

“Why can’t you just talk to them? I mean, all of you are miserable, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Robin shrugged. “Nic ‘n I have gone up ta Waves’ dorm six or seven times since shit hit t’e fan ‘n den we just stand in front of it for five minutes arguing ‘bout who’s gonna knock on the door until we lose all our nerve ‘n leave. Couple days ago, I actually did knock ‘n den we got scared and ran away.” 

“Pussies…” Rosita groaned. “Do I need to lock you all in a room together? Because you know I have no problem with getting people places against their will.” 

He almost laughed. “I just miss him. I ain’t never had me heart hurt dis bad fer someone in me life. All I want is ta take away all t’e pain I’m causin’ him.”

Rosita grabbed Robin’s chin and forced him to look at her. “You and Nicole go knock on their damn door and sort this shit out, alright? If _my_ Baby Jeremy comes in here with sad eyes one more time, I’m going to have to hit you, got it?” 

“I don’t wanna see him cry anymore,” he said softly.

“Then he’s just gonna cry without you and that’s gonna be a hundred times harder on both of you.”

Robin frowned deeply. “I don’t want him ta cry all alone.”

“Then go make sure he doesn’t.” 

**7:13 AM**

“Nic, wake t’e fuck up!” Robin yelled, throwing several pillows and a shoe at the blanket cocoon Nicole had buried herself in. 

“What t’e feck do ya want, ya cunt?” she grumbled, poking her face out from under the blankets. 

He tugged his apron off and threw it at her as well, sending a cloud of flour into the air around her. “We’re gonna go see Jer and Babycakes.” 

“Waves don’t wanna see me.”

“I promise ya, she does,” he said, grabbing her blankets and pulling them. “‘N even if she don’t, at least she can tell ya dat ta yer face instead o’ ya jus’ assume dat, aye?”

“I can’t, Robbie,” she huffed, sitting up. “She’s so angry at me ‘n I can’t blame her.”

Robin pulled on the brown cardigan that he wore the day that him and Jeremy had met, feeling that it might give him some good luck in facing him again. “I will carry ya all t’e way dere, Kid. Don’t ya test me.”

She wrinkled her nose at the thought and stood from the bed. “Fine, I’ll go. But I’m leavin’ if she looks like she don’t wanna talk.” 

“Fine.” 

He waited as she put on a pair of baggy jeans and one of his hoodies, not even bothering to fix her mess of hair. “Put on a hat, at least,” he urged, holding out a blue beanie the same color as the hoodie she’d put on. 

His heart burned a little seeing her wear the hoodie that Jeremy had taken a liking to, especially after wearing it to the Halloween party. 

“Off we go, mate,” she grunted, leaving the dorm with Robin on her heels. 

They stopped at the elevator, Robin hitting the up button several times while they waited for it to get back to the bottom floor. 

“I don’t have a good feelin’ ‘bout dis.”

Robin swallowed. “I tink I might.” 

The elevator door opened and tension filled the air as they came face to face to the people they’d been on their way to see. 

Chrissy stood between Waverly and Jeremy, a coffee in one of her hands. “Shit, shit, shit,” she said, holding out her arms to stop Waverly and Jeremy from getting out of the elevator. “Get in _now.”_

Nicole looked at Robin as if to ask if this was a good idea, but he was already stepping into the elevator and dragging her by the sleeve. Chrissy leaped to the buttons and closed the doors. Robin pressed the button that stopped the elevator and leaned against the wall in front of it so no one else could hit it. 

Chrissy stood in the center of the elevator, glancing between where Jeremy and Waverly were standing against one wall and where Nicole and Robin were standing against the opposite wall.

“Listen up,” she started, taking a sip of her coffee and taking in a deep breath. “I thought that if I waited this out, you’d take it upon yourselves to talk everything out, but _obviously_ I was wrong. You’re all miserable and you look even worse than you feel, I promise you that. Now, I am tired of the avoiding each other, and the sneaking off to the bathroom to cry during classes, and skipping classes that the other person is in with you. Most of all, I’m _tired_ of Jeremy sleeping on my floor! No offense, Jer, but you are the most _awkward_ rug I have ever seen!”

She waited a beat to take another sip of coffee. _“So,_ I am going to lock you all in a room and let you figure this out on your own. If anyone tries to escape, I’m calling Xavier to mediate, and speaking from personal experience, he is a _terrible_ mediator.” 

“Chris-” Waverly started, but Chrissy reached out her free hand and squeezed her lips together. 

“Do not test me, Waverly Earp. I have stayed up to listen to you cry about missing Haught-Cakes over here for almost a week now, I am not doing it for one more night, you hear me?”

“Yis,” Waverly said, her lips still being held together. 

Chrissy smiled and looked towards Robin. “You may release us.”

He nodded and hit the button to start the elevator back up. “What happens if someone tries ta run?” he asked once the doors opened and they started walking towards Robin and Nicole’s dorm. 

“They get hot coffee thrown at them,” she said, sending everyone a demented smile. “Here we are!” 

Nicole pushed the door open and threw herself on her bed to sit with her back against the wall. Robin picked up Big Alfred from where he’d been using him as a pillow and sat in the corner with the frog in his arms. 

Chrissy grinned. “Perfect!” She took Waverly’s arm and forced her to sit at the end of Nicole’s bed and did the same with Jeremy to Robin’s bed. “Now, I’m gonna take Mr. Alfred here-” She opened the frog’s tank and dug him out of the dirt he was hiding under. 

“Be careful with him!” Jeremy yelled. 

“Shh!” she hushed, pressing her pointer finger to his lips and holding Alfred against her chest. “I’m gonna take him and sit outside while you guys work this out. No one leaves until everyone kisses and makes up, yeah?” She backed away from them and out the door, waving as she closed it. “Have fun!”

They all sat staring at the door like this was some sick joke and Chrissy was just gonna pop back in and tell them that they could leave. 

Robin coughed and looked between everyone. “Who wants ta start?” 

“Why don’t you since ya were so gung ho ‘bout goin’ ‘n seein’ dem ‘fore Chris trapped us in an elevator?” Nicole suggested, her voice dripping with malice.

“You were coming to see us?” Jeremy asked quietly. 

Robin nodded. “Yeah, I was hopin’ we could talk ‘bout everyting.”

“I don’t wanna talk,” Waverly said, standing from the bed and crossing her arms. “I don’t have anything to say to either of you.” 

“Waves…” Jeremy sighed. “Please? I can’t keep doing this. I know we promised not to give in, but I’m not going to keep this up for a whole month. It hurts too much.” 

Her bottom lip quivered. “Yeah, Jeremy, it hurts me, too. Like, _really_ fucking bad. Why the hell do you think I don't want to do it?” 

“That’s not healthy! You have to talk about it eventually!”

“Who says?”

“I do,” he said, taking a breath. “I’m tired of seeing you not take care of yourself and wear yourself down over something that can be fixed if we just talk about things. You’re one of my best friends, and I don’t want to lose you if I have this conversation without you, so either you sit down and we have it together, or you keep torturing yourself without me and without Nicole there to help you through it. Either way, I’m staying.” 

Waverly stayed silent for a moment before wiping the tears off her cheeks and sitting down at the very edge of Nicole’s bed.

“There,” Jeremy said, letting out a breath and looking around the room. “Maybe it’s best that we hear them out, yeah?”

She shrugged, not saying anything. Jeremy sighed and looked towards Nicole and Robin expectantly.

“Erm,” Robin started. “I supposed dat’s fair, don’t ya tink, Nic?”

“Whatever.”

“Great.” He sat up a little more, holding Big Alfred even closer to his chest. “I tink dat ya should know dat we were never tryin’ ta keep tings from ya. We had a plan fer how we were gonna tell ya, it just hadn’t come up yet ‘cause we were waitin’ fer a good moment. T’e last ting we wanted was fer ya ta tink dat we were tryin’ ta keep ya in t’e dark, ‘cause we really, truly weren’t.”

Nicole cleared her throat a little, looking between Waverly and Jeremy before letting her eyes settle on her _hopefully still_ girlfriend. She picked at her fingers a bit. “I, uh… I want ya ta know dat Robbie ‘n I both talked ‘bout dis many a’time. We both decided _together_ what we t’ought was t’e best plan of action… Obviously, it wasn’t, t’ough. T’inkin’ back now, I know I shoulda jus’ told ya ta begin with, but I pussied out. I t’ought ya’d t’ink dere was no point ‘n leave me in t’e dust.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault?” Waverly asked with a huff.

Nicole quickly shook her head. “I ain’t blamin’ anythin’ on ya. It’s all me. I’m t’e one who fucked up ‘n didn’t tell ya, ‘n if ya hate me fer it, so be it.” 

Waverly clenched and unclenched her jaw a few times as her hard eyes stayed locked on the sad, sunken in ones staring back at her. “So… Not only did you lie to me before we got together _and_ when we actually got together, but you also continued with that lie after I explained to you multiple times that _every single person_ I’ve ever- that I’ve ever cared about has _left me?”_

“I didn’t lie,” Nicole mumbled softly. 

“You wanna be a fucking _lawyer,_ Nicole! You know damn well omission is lying!” 

“It was my fault,” Robin cut in, seeing Nicole’s face falling with every word Waverly was shouting at her. “I convinced her dat it’d be better ta drop it on t’e both o’ ya at t’e same time. I t’ough dat if we told ya ‘round finals when ya didn’t have as long worry ‘bout it.”

“But she agreed to that!”

Robin shook his head. “I told her I didn’t want Jer to know anyting ‘bout it until his birthday passed, and in order for it stay a secret, you couldn’t know either.” 

“Oh, so Jeremy’s feelings are more important than mine? I see how it is.”

“Only my birthday is more important than your feelings,” Jeremy deadpanned.

 _“And you!”_ Waverly rounded on him. “You’ve gotta stop pretending like you’re fine and pushing away your emotions because you think things are just going to go back to normal! We had to call Fish, Levi, and Xavier to get you out of my bathroom the other day because you had drunk half of tequila and were crying in the shower fully clothed.”

Jeremy shrunk back against the wall. “Pretending to be alright is how I become alright.”

“You cried yourself to sleep last night, and when you came back with coffee today, you were crying again.”

“I’m getting there!”

Waverly shook her head. “Me depressed and angry is nothing compared to you depressed and pretending not to be. Now, tell me again who’s not been taking care of themselves? I can smell the bourbon you spilled on yourself three days ago from here!” 

“At least I didn’t guilt my friend into not seeing someone by threatening our friendship!” he countered. “If it’d been up to me, we would have been having this conversation a week ago!” 

She turned her back to him. “We’ve spent too much time together.”

“Agreed,” he spat, twisting his bracelets on his wrist. 

She looked at Nicole. “Anything else to say?”

“Can Robbie and Jer fight fer a while?” Nicole mumbled, looking at her hands. “I tink we both need a minute ‘fore we hop back into dis.”

Waverly sat back on the edge of the bed and turned away from Nicole. “Fine.”

Robin tried to catch Jeremy’s eye, but Jeremy avoided it. “Ya ain’t been scratchin’ yerself over dis, have ya? I’ve been so worried ‘bout dat.”

Jeremy turned his head further away. “I’ve been fine.” 

“Lies!” Waverly spat.

“It’s not yer turn, Babycakes,” Robin said calmly before turning his attention back to Jeremy. “I’m so sorry I ever led ya ta anyting like dat, Shorty. I never ever wanted ta hurt ya. I had a whole plan o’ how I wanted everyting ta go so it’d make it less stressful on you, but… well, ya know what happened instead.”

“Why couldn’t you have told me from the beginning that it was only a semester scholarship?” he asked. “We could have been looking for alternative scholarships and stuff, but it’s probably too late for that now.” 

“I never really t’ought ‘bout it at first. Ya know I’m not good in relationships, so I never really t’ought it’d get far enough dat I’d have ta worry about tellin’ ya.” 

“Surprise!” Jeremy said dryly.

Robin held out Big Alfred for him to take. “Yer da best surprise I’ve ever gotten.”

Jeremy stared at him for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should accept the offer, eventually looking away and shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. Robin frowned after a moment and pulled Big Alfred back into his chest. 

“I wanted ta wait until after yer birthday,” he explained. “I had such big plans fer it ‘n I didn’t wanna risk messin’ dose up by puttin’ dis on yer mind on top o’ everyting else ya’ve got.”

“He ain’t lyin’, Jer,” Nicole told him, trying to avoid looking at Waverly. “He’s been plannin’ out yer birthday fer weeks. ‘N we had everyting planned out fer how we were gonna tell ya dat we were leavin’ fer a couple days after.”

“Yeah, well, you waited a bit too long,” Waverly spat.

“It ain’t like we were purposefully tryin’ ta keep ya in t’e dark!” Nicole argued. 

Jeremy looked up at Nicole with a sharp shake of his head. “You’ve both been leading us on for fucking _weeks._ Both of you! Planning things for next semester like you’re going to be here and you’re not!” 

“We didn’t do dat!” Robin said defensively.

“Yes, you did!” Waverly said, tears finally falling from her eyes. She looked towards Nicole and wrapped her arms around herself. “I’ve been talking about your birthday party since before Halloween and you never said a word about the fact that you’ll be across a whole ass _ocean_ in January!”

“And what about our big New Years’ plans?” Jeremy asked Robin. “We’ve spent _hours_ talking about going to that party! You promised me you’d go so that I could go to my first New Years’ party. You promised me you’d be my first New Years’ kiss because we were going into next year _together.”_

Jeremy’s bottom lip trembled and he could feel the bravery that he’d been trying to keep up for Waverly shatter. He covered his face with his hands, shaking his head as if trying to get all of the thoughts that had started to reform out of his brain. 

“I don’t want to do next year alone.” 

Robin shifted on the bed and pulled Jeremy against him. “I’m so sorry, Jer. I’m so, so sorry. We were tryin’ so hard to push dis off so we’d have as much happy time with you as possible. We didn’t want these feelin’s ta be weighin’ down yer hearts for the rest of t’e time dat we’re here.”

Waverly took in a shaky breath. “But don’t you see that we could have been preparing for this since the beginning? If you would have told us sooner- and I don’t mean a couple weeks ago, I mean at the very beginning- then we could have been planning for ways to make the transition easier, and now what are we going to do? We don’t have any money saved up! We both could have gotten better jobs, but there’s so little time now.”

Nicole furrowed her eyebrows. “What do ya mean? What do ya need more money fer?”

“To come see you assholes, obviously,” Jeremy huffed, still hiding his face in Robin’s shirt (Secretly hoping he was getting as much snot on it as possible).

Robin and Nicole looked at each other, wide-eyed. “Come see us? What do ya mean?” Robin asked.

“I’m not just going to talk to you on the phone for the rest of my life,” Waverly scoffed, wiping her face on one of Nicole’s pillows and throwing it at her. “How are we supposed to survive off phone sex forever?”

Nicole opened her mouth but no words came out and Robin found himself at the same loss of words. 

“Why are you being-” Jeremy pulled away from Robin with wide eyes. “Were you going to break up with us? I’m gonna hit you if you say yes.” 

“No!” Robin gasped.

“You just don’t wanna get hit,” Jeremy scoffed, slapping his arm anyway. “And you deserved that even if you weren’t gonna break up with us. Just for being a dumb bitch.”

Robin nodded. “I can accept dat, I suppose.”

Waverly looked at Nicole sadly. “You were gonna break up with us?”

“T’e fuck?” Nicole gasped. “He jus’ said no, didn’t he? We t’ought fer sure ya was gonna break up with us ‘fore we left!”

“Why would we do that?” Jeremy questioned, grabbing Robin’s shirt and wiped the tears and snot off of his face with it.

“Yeah, that’s fucking stupid!” Waverly agreed, punching Nicole in the good arm but quickly moved to take her hand. “I told you you’re stuck with me, Bub.”

“No take backs?”

“Do I seem like the kinda person that goes back on my word?”

Nicole’s bottom lip wobbled and Waverly crawled in her lap, ready to brush away her tears the second they fell. She pulled Waverly’s legs around her hips and shoved her face into her shoulder. “I t’ought fer sure I’d lost ya forever.”

Robin wrapped an arm around Jeremy’s waist and pulled him into his lap as well. “Does dis mean yer gonna try ‘n come ta Ireland sometime?”

Waverly looked towards Jeremy, and he nodded. “I already applied to work inventory for the science department ‘cause I’m not doing flashcards anymore. Guess all that means is I’m saving all the money I make there for a plane ticket, huh?”

“I’ve been saving up to get a new pair of glasses, but I can put that off for a while longer so I can put all of that to my new ‘Going To Ireland Fund’,” Waverly suggested.

“I could probably have enough saved up by… March, maybe?” Jeremy suggested, leaning his head against Robin’s shoulder.

Waverly nodded in agreement. “I think so, too.” 

Nicole’s jaw dropped and both her and Robin’s faces broke into maniacal grins. She opened her mouth, saying something so fast and so Irish that even Jeremy and Waverly couldn’t understand her. Robin responded in the same excited gibberish, though Jeremy was able to make out the words ‘drinking’, ‘chicken’, and what sounded like ‘parade’. 

“Can you repeat that?” Waverly asked. 

“But way, way slower,” Jeremy added.

“Yer comin’ fer St. Patrick’s, o’ course!” Nicole said as if it were obvious. “Most Irish holiday of ‘em all.”

“Ya can come ta t’e annual St. Patty’s Day party at t’e Haught’s house where dere will be heaps o’ drinkin’. ‘N ya’ll get ta meet all o’ our families ‘n such. After dat, ya can come ta t’e St. Patty’s Day parade dat a bunch o’ us march in every year.”

Jeremy grimaced. “That sounds like something that neither of us would enjoy.”

Waverly nodded. “Yeah, I don’t like social gatherings very much.”

“But we’ll be dere,” Robin reminded, kissing the side of Jeremy’s head. “Ta make sure yer havin’ t’e best time possible.” 

“Oh Robbie!” Nicole gasped. “We gotta show em t’e-” 

“Oh, ‘n t’e-” Robin grinned and looked at Jeremy excitedly. “You’ll like dat one.”

“But when we go dere, we can’t go at t’e same time.”

“Obviously. I’m not bloody braindead.” 

Waverly glanced at Jeremy, mouthing, “What the fuck are they talking about?”

Jeremy shrugged, running a hand up the back of Robin’s head and into his hair to get his attention. “What that fuck are you talking about?”

“Ya’ll see when ya come see us during St. Patty’s Day,” Robin assured, wrapping his arms around Jeremy’s waist and holding him close. “God, I bloody missed ya.” 

A rough knock at the door and the door flying open tore everyone’s attention from each other and to Chrissy. She stood there, Alfred in her hands and a massive smile on her face at the sight of everyone being cuddly. 

“The yelling stopped! Does that mean I did my job?”

“Can I have Alfred back?” Jeremy asked, holding out his hands. “If you say no I will tackle you.”

Her eyes widened and she quickly handed him back. “Jesus, fine!”

Alfred let out a soft ribbit in Jeremy’s hands and he smiled down at him. “Hello, Sir. Nice to see you again.”

Robin smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Jeremy’s head. “He’s got both his dads back.”

“Awe! Does this mean Jeremy’s moving out?” Chrissy asked, clapping her hands together. 

“What do ya say, Shorty?” Robin asked, resting his chin on Jeremy’s shoulder. “You’ll stay here with me?”

Jeremy smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

“Know what dat means, love?” Nicole asked, rubbing her fingers in little circles on Waverly’s skin.

“You’re coming back upstairs with me?”

“I most definitely am!” Nicole agreed, picking Waverly up and carrying her out the door, Chrissy following behind them and whining about how she still wanted food.

When the door closed, Jeremy looked up at Robin and smiled brightly. He held up Alfred to Robin’s face. “Did you give him hugs when I wasn’t here?”

“O’ course.” He ran a hand through Jeremy’s hair and kissed the side of his head. “Can ya put him away so I can cuddle t’e shite outta ya? I don’t wanna squish him.”

“Back in the dirt ya go,” Jeremy mumbled, putting him into the tank and dropping a few more crickets in after him. 

Robin reached out his arms, giving Jeremy grabby hands until he could grab his waist and pull him back onto the bed. Jeremy straddled Robin’s hip and leaned their foreheads together. “I missed you so much.”

“I’m so sorry I didn’t reach out sooner,” Robin said, peppering Jeremy’s face with kisses. “We really wanted to, I promise ya.”

Jeremy shook his head. “Waverly wouldn’t have let you anyway. She needed time to cool down.” He cupped Robin’s cheeks in his hands. “I wanna kiss you.”

“Please do,” he muttered, pressing a single soft kiss to Jeremy’s lips. 

Goosebumps rose across their skin. 

“Shite, I missed that,” Robin groaned, wrapping his arms around Jeremy’s waist and pulling him into a hug. 

Jeremy buried his face into Robin’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “I’m gonna miss you, Babu,” he mumbled, feeling a fresh wave of tears well up in his eyes. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“Awe, Shorty,” Robin cooed, rocking Jeremy in his arms. “We’re gonna figure it out, alrigh’? I promise ya dat.”

“What am I gonna do for three months without you?” he asked, his voice breaking.

Robin kissed the side of his head. “We can call all t’e time. ‘N we can write each other love letters like dey used ta do, aye? Very romantic.”

“Ugh, I have to look at your handwriting the whole time you’re gone? I’d have to spend all three months trying to read one letter,” he teased. Jeremy laughed at the faux anger on Robin’s face as he flipped him onto the bed and started to tickle him. 

“Yer handwritin’ ain’t much o’ a treat ta read either, ya wee shite!” 

Jeremy sucked in a few breaths between laughs and tried to squirm away from him. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he squealed. After a minute of being unable to get Robin off of him, he took his face in his hands and pulled him into another kiss. Robin’s hands halted on his sides and he leaned into the kiss.

“Dat ain’t fair,” he grumbled, pulling away from just a moment before taking Jeremy’s lips back with his.

“Are you complaining?”

Robin shook his head slightly. “Definitely not.” 

After a while, Jeremy pulled back and rested his head against Big Alfred behind him. “I’m sleepy, Babu.”

“Ya wanna take a nap, baby?” Robin questioned, laying flat against Jeremy and resting his chin on his chest.

Jeremy nodded a little, running a hand through Robin’s hair. “Yeah…”

“Why do ya look so sad?”

“‘Cause I wanted to spend some time with you, but all I can think about is sleep,” he whined. 

“Who says nappin’ ain’t spendin’ time together?” Robin asked, getting up and shutting off all the lights. “I’ll even let ya wear me clothes.” 

“Even better,” Jeremy said, smiling widely even though Robin couldn’t see him in the dark.

Robin pulled off the shirt he’d been wearing and threw it towards the bed where Jeremy was still laying. He searched the floor for a hoodie he’d worn in the past few days and threw that onto the bed. 

“You wanna wear my Batman hoodie?” Jeremy asked. “It’s probably not long enough for your body and I’ve been crying in it for the last week, but you’re welcome to it if you want it.”

“Nothin’ would make me happier,” Robin told him, reaching out for the hoodie Jeremy was holding out. He was right. The hoodie was hardly long enough for his torso. Even though the first was less than ideal, it was soft and it smelled like coffee and old books. Just like Jeremy. “Actually, one ting would make me happier.”

“What?” Jeremy asked nervously. 

“Cuddlin’ ya while we sleep,” Robin said, crawling into the bed and pulling Jeremy against him. “‘N doin’ dis at every possible second fer as long as I can.”

Jeremy rolled over in his arms and pressed his face into his chest. “I’ve been wondering why I haven’t been sleeping, and I think it might be because I was missing being in your arms.”

“I’m always glad ta be o’ service, Shorty.” Robin pressed one last kiss to Jeremy’s forehead and closed his eyes while listening to Jeremy’s breathing steady. They slept just like that almost all day, and neither of them wanted anything but to be right where they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> helloo  
> here's a fun fact about why these chapters have been being updated further and further apart!  
> Queef and I haven't seen each other in almost a year and a half and we're spiralling because we miss each other. We don't live in the same state because our parents sucked at being parents so we get to see each other like maybe once a year if we're lucky. With corona, everything got even harder.  
> We were all being super careful and got super excited because we made a whole plan for seeing each other for Thanksgiving and then the plans fell through and now our hearts hurt when we think about it.  
> Life's hard guys, we're trying our best <3


	31. No Lookin’ at me Tum Tum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did someone say make-up fluff?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYOOOOO  
> Aye, we managed to update before a month passed this time! Are you proud of us???  
> I personally think that this chapter is very jumpy and kinda weird, but it kinda works so who cares?  
> How are y'all? Good hopefully. We're all goin' through it right now it seems, but I hope this chapter can bring you a little happiness.   
> ANYWAY that's all I've got to say! Have a good read!

**  
** **Saturday, November 20th, 1993 7:57 AM**

Waverly giggled, and Nicole set her down once they stepped outside the door with a chuckle. Chrissy looked towards them with a raise of their brows. “I’d take it you two are alright now?” 

“Uh . . .” Waverly looked up at Nicole as they walked towards the elevator. “I mean, we’re gonna go talk about some more things that way we’re both on the same page, but as of now, yes.”

Chrissy smiled softly, stopping outside of the metal doors. “Good, I’m happy.” The doors opened, and Waverly and Nicole stepped inside, but Chrissy pressed her hand against one of the doors to keep it open from the hallway. “Alright, you two have fun  _ talking.  _ I know I don’t wanna be there to hear that, so I’m gonna go see my boyfriend instead.” 

Waverly huffed with a roll of her eyes. “We’re really gonna talk-” She quickly looked at her equally wide eyes. “Wait,  _ boyfriend?”  _

“Sure,” she said with a shrug. 

“Ya ain’t sound too sure about dat,” Nicole chuckled. 

“Honestly, I’m never sure about anything, but Perry calls me Babe and wants me to meet his grandma, so I’m gonna go ahead and call myself his girlfriend.” 

Waverly raised her brows at her. “Hm, maybe we’re not the only ones that need to talk about our relationship then.” 

Chrissy threw her a look, moving her hand away from the door and turning away. “Bye.”

“Bye,” they both laughed.

They waited until the doors were shut to move closer to one another, and Nicole leaned back against the rail on the wall, wrapping an arm around her when Waverly leaned back against her. She let her finger trace up and down the zipped zipper of Waverly’s colorful windbreaker until the elevator dinged. She let her arms drop to her sides, and Waverly pushed off of her right before the doors opened, allowing them to head down to Waverly’s room and close themselves in some privacy that they hadn't shared in nine days. 

Nicole swallowed a little, glancing around the room that was far different than it had been the last time she had been there. Not only was there now a makeshift sleeping arrangement in the middle of the floor between Waverly and Chrissy’s bed, but now the rest of the room looked pretty much like a tornado had torn through it.

Waverly Earp was the most organized person she had ever met, so  _ this  _ was pretty alarming to say the least. 

“It’s trashed, I know,” Waverly mumbled, grabbing her hand and pulling her over to her bed, which surprisingly had nothing but her pillows and blankets on it. She dropped down onto it, giving Nicole’s arm a few tugs until she followed and pushing her towards the middle bed so she could lay on top of her. She settled with a sigh, pressing her face up against her neck and heavily inhaling. “Mm . . . I missed you.” 

“I missed ya, too, Darlin’,” Nicole sighed as she hugged her arms around her. 

“Can we, like . . . never do that again? Please?”

“I’d be happy ta  _ never  _ do anythin’ like dat again, yeah,” Nicole agreed. 

Waverly lifted her head, nudging her glasses up as she met her eyes. "Never?" 

"Never ever." 

She lifted her hand, wiggling her pinky. "Pinky promise?" 

Nicole nodded with a chuckle, locking her own with it. "Pinky promise, Love."

"Ok . . . Good." 

Nicole gave her a soft dimpled smile that grew a little wider when she saw her eyes flick down to it. Waverly moved her hands up to cup her cheeks, leaning into a kiss that made her insides flip flop like it was the first time all over again. Nicole hummed, sliding her hands to her waist with a squeeze. 

Waverly pulled back for a moment, meeting her eyes with a beaming smile and a giggle before leaning right back in. Nicole squeezed her waist a little harder, flipping them over so she was on top and leaning down into her with her arms on either side of Waverly’s head. She cupped the back of Nicole’s neck deepening the kiss as she opened her mouth some, letting out a soft moan when Nicole slipped her tongue in after a few seconds. 

“God, I’ve missed dat,” Nicole muttered. 

“What?”

“Yer noises,” she answered as she rolled her thigh forward, letting out a low growl when Waverly moaned again and pulled at her hips. “Drives me bloody mad.” 

Waverly swallowed roughly, and Nicole saw her pupils blow wide. She pulled her right back into a kiss, and Nicole continued to rock into her a little more forcefully than the time before. She moved her hand up to the zipper of Waverly’s windbreaker, pulling it down and grinning wide when she saw that she was just wearing a white sports bra underneath it. 

Waverly pulled the blue beanie off her head and tossed it to the floor so she could push her hands through her hair when Nicole dropped her lips to her neck. She trailed them down, sucking on her pulse point for only a moment before sliding to her collarbone and biting hard enough onto the bone to leave a mark. Waverly’s back arched towards her with a throaty groan, a similar noise coming out of Nicole when her nails had dug into her scalp. 

One of Nicole’s hands trailed down and pressed against the front of Waverly’s light blue jeans, but Waverly moved her hands to her shoulders to detach her from sucking a hickey into the skin on her chest. “Ok,” she breathed out.

Nicole moved her hand away, meeting her eyes in question. “What?” 

“We said we were gonna talk,” Waverly mumbled. “This isn’t talking.” 

Nicole pursed her lips, nodding with a sigh as she sat up off of her. “Ya’re right.” 

“Not that I don’t want this,” Waverly assured, grinning a little as she sat up and pressed a lazy kiss to her mouth. “‘Cause, trust me, Baby, I do.”

“Mhm,” Nicole hummed with a little smile.

“It’s just . . . Communication is more important than . . .”

“Shaggin’,” Nicole finished for her. 

“Yeah,” she said with a giggle. 

Nicole cleared her throat, reaching down and grabbing her beanie off the floor, leaning back against the wall beside her bed as she pulled it back on. “Alrigh’. Let’s chat.” 

“Ok, so . . .” Waverly shifted a little, leaning her shoulder against the wall beside her. “First things first, if you  _ ever  _ do anything like this to me again, I’m gonna throw knives at you.” 

“Wouldn’t be t’e first time someone’s done dat,” Nicole mumbled, and Waverly widened her eyes at her in surprise. “What?” she asked wtih a laugh. “Ya’ve met Robbie, ain’t ya?” 

She shook her head, smacking her thigh. “I’m serious.” 

“Baby, I promise ya, I ain’t gonna do nothin’ dumb like dis again.”

“Good,” she mumbled, gently taking her hand and pulling it into her lap. “So . . . the program you're in- the exchange program? They were only offering one semester?” 

Nicole nodded with a sigh. “‘N I’m bloody lucky I got in it when I did. They ain’t let a whole lotta people do it.”

Waverly smiled a little, running her thumb over her knuckles. “I’m glad you did.” A moment of silence hung in the air, and Waverly let out a sigh, leaning the side of her head against the wall as she met her eyes. “. . . How’re we gonna do this?” 

Nicole turned her body to directly face her, letting her hold both of her hands. “I . . . I dunno. But I want dis. I want dis so bad, and- and I’m gonna do everythin’ I can ta try ‘n make it work. I’ve said it once ‘n I’ll say it again, Waverly Earp, I  _ cannot  _ lose ya.” 

“I can’t lose you either,” Waverly mumbled. “And . . . And I don’t know how I’m gonna stay mentally stable only being able to see you during breaks and stuff, but . . .”

“But it’s all worth it in t’e end,” Nicole finished for her with a little smile. 

“It is,” she agreed. She pushed off the bed, walking over to her dresser and pulling open one of the drawers, feeling on the bottom of it and pulling an envelope out that had been taped there. She walked back over to the bed and sat back down where she had been, opening it up and pulling a handful of cash out with another piece of paper. “This is my glasses money,” she mumbled, setting down what Nicole could guess was about $200 next to the printed off paper with all the information about the glasses she wanted. “They’re like . . . $450, but . . . these ones are still fine, I guess.” 

Nicole looked up at her with a furrow of her brows. “Says yer needin’ a prescription change, Love.”

Waverly shrugged a little. “I can still see with these. I’ll be fine for a little while longer.”

“Wave,” Nicole said softly with a sad sigh. “I don’t like dis.”

“I don’t like this either, but seeing you next March isn’t  _ optional  _ because I’d rather not be able to read your road signs than not see them  _ at all  _ ‘cause I’m too busy being  _ able  _ to read them here.”

Nicole flicked her eyes over the sheet with the information again before huffing as she moved it out of the way and grabbing her wrists to pull her to her lap. She hugged her arms around her waist as Waverly curled into her front. “I jus’ wish dere was another way . . . I ain’t understand why tickets’re $900.” 

_ “$900?”  _ Waverly asked with a dropped jaw.

“Fer a round trip, yeah,” Nicole mumbled. 

Waverly let out a shaky sigh. “I . . . I could always ask Nedley if he could loan me some money or something maybe.” 

“No,” Nicole mumbled. “If ya ain’t got t’e money, I’ll cover it, Love.”

Waverly furrowed her brows at her tightly.  _ “No.  _ I’ll just . . . pick up more hours aiding and maybe start charging for tutoring, I dunno. I’m not letting you do that, though.” 

“Wave, I’d rather jus’ pay fer t’e whole ticket fer ya-”

_ “No!”  _

“-but I know ya’d say no,” Nicole finished with a chuckle. 

“You don’t even have a  _ job,  _ Nicole,” Waverly argued. “And I do. I’ll be fine.”

“Love, I don’t gotta job ‘cause I’m still gettin’ paid from t’e service,” she mumbled. 

“How much?” 

“Like . . . 750ish per month,” she shrugged. 

Waverly blinked at her in shock. “Wh-  _ What?” _

“‘Cause . . . reasons besides t’e fact I got hurt in-action.” 

She scoffed. “I make that every  _ two  _ months, and I’m working  _ two jobs  _ right now.” 

Nicole chuckled, running her fingers up her bare sides under her still-unzipped windbreaker. “My job was in a  _ war zone  _ fer well over a year. Cut me some slack.”

“But $750?” Waverly huffed with a tip of her head, feeling her muscles contracting under Nicole’s fingers as she continued to trail them across her abdomen. “Why? That seems excessive since you weren’t even in that long.”

“It’s ‘cause I’m sexy, Princess,” she said with a smirk. 

“You’re deflecting,” she grumbled. 

“I know I am. Dat means take t’e hint dat I ain’t sayin’ anythin’ else,” Nicole muttered as she pressed her lips against her jaw.

Waverly let out a sigh, letting her hands fall to her shoulders with a squeeze as she tipped her head to the side, letting out a soft moan. “Fine . . . Just keep doing that.”

“Oh, I reckon I will,” she grinned, sliding her lips to her neck and nipping gently at the skin.

Waverly rolled her hips forward against her stomach, feeling one of Nicole’s hands move up to wrap around the bottom of her jaw. Her other arm looped behind her back to pull her closer, and Waverly gripped her fingers into the tops of her shoulders, running her thumbs across her collarbones over her hoodie.

She stopped, though, running her thumb over the right one again. 

“Why’s it bumpy?” she asked with a tip of her head. “I’ve never noticed that before.” 

Nicole cleared her throat, pulling Waverly’s hands down to rest on her stomach. “‘Cause I usually got me sleeve t’ing on over it, but I ain’t now.” 

“Oh,” Waverly mumbled. “Why’s it like that, though?” 

“I got a plate ‘n screws dere,” she answered before pulling her back into a kiss. “Pokes out a bit.” 

Waverly pulled back, furrowing her brow a little as she rubbed her thumbs on her stomach. “Is it ok?” 

“Sweetheart,” Nicole breathed out. “I’m fine, ya know dat.” Waverly’s eyes stayed concerned, and she sighed as Nicole grabbed two fingers on her hand and pulled the top hem of her hoodie up a bit, guiding her fingers to run across the skin above her collarbone. “See?”

Waverly noticed how she was guiding her hand in such a way so she wasn’t feeling the entire area  _ and  _ so she wasn’t seeing anything at all, so it was still unsettling. She was able to conclude that she wasn’t in any pain from it, though. “I guess,” she mumbled.

“Relax,” Nicole said softly as she brought her hands up to squish her cheeks. “Yer all over t’e place right now.”

Waverly groaned, dropping her forehead to rest against Nicole’s chest. “I know,” she mumbled. 

Nicole gently ran her fingers through Waverly’s hair. “. . . Why don’t ya hop in t’e shower ta help clear ya mind ‘n calm ya down a bit, hmm?”

Waverly lifted her head to look at her with narrowed eyes. “Are you saying I stink, Haught?”

“No!” she said quickly. “No- I jus’ . . . I ain’t want ya all boggled over dis.”

Waverly let out a sigh, crawling off her lap and climbing off the bed. “You’re gonna stay here, right?” 

“Of course, Love. I’ll jus’ watch t’e telly or somethin’.” 

Waverly giggled a little, moving over to her closet to get some clean clothes out. “I love it when you say that.”

Nicole rolled her eyes playfully with a smile as she scooted back on the bed to lean back against the pillows. “Yeah, yeah.” 

Waverly pulled some clothes out and turned towards the bathroom. “You watch the telly. I’ll try not to take too long.”

Nicole threw her a look but shook her head. “Nah, Love, ain’t no rush. Take yer time in dere. I don’t mind.” 

“You sure?” she asked with a tightened brow.

Nicole shook her head with a dimpled smile. “Not at all.” 

_ “Alright, _ Bub,” Waverly sighed, walking into the bathroom. “If you say so.” 

Nicole waited until the door was shut and waited a minute after she heard the water turn on, giving her time to actually get in it before she got up off the bed. 

If she was going to pull this off, she needed to go fast.

**9:04 AM**

Nicole tapped a knuckle on the bathroom door, cracking it open a bit. “Aye, Love?”

“Yeah, Baby?” Waverly called back, poking her head out from behind the shower curtain. 

“I’m orderin’ some breakfast. Ya ate today yet?”

“No,” she mumbled. “What’re you getting?”

“Dere’s an Irish Pub near campus I’ve been leapin’ ta try, ‘n dey deliver ‘ere apparently. I jus’ ran ‘n grabbed a menu from t’e menu shelf downstairs . . . I was probably gonna get deir Full Irish Breakfast ta see if it lives up ta me standards.” 

“What’s in that?” Waverly asked with a chuckle. 

“Too much,” Nicole laughed. “I’m makin’ ‘em double it, t’ough, ‘cause I’ve a bloody mouth on me.”

“Oh god,” Waverly muttered. “Do they have anything I can get?”

“I ringed ‘em ‘bout dis fried veggie skillet dey got, ‘n dey said it ain’t fried up with any meat shite around, so ya could get dat.” 

“What’s in it?” 

“Uh . . .” Nicole looked down at the menu pamphlet in her hand. “Spuds, onions, bell peppers, shroomies, ‘n ya can get ‘em ta put avocados on it, too, but dey ain’t fried with t’e rest.” 

“Sounds good. Thank you, Baby.” 

“Gotta keep me Waves’ tummy nice ‘n filled,” Nicole said with a grin before popping her head back and closing the door. Waverly smiled with a content sigh, pulling the shower curtain closed and resuming her shower.

Nicole put the order in for their food and relaxed back on Waverly’s bed. She had taken a lot longer in the shower than she had expected, but it was good for her in the long run to get done with what she needed to get done. 

Since she had rushed to do it, though, she had worked up quite the appetite on top of the fact that she also hadn’t eaten in two days. 

It probably would have been longer, but Kennedy had shoved a mac ‘n cheese grilled cheese down her throat when she had actually shown up for her physics class one day. 

Nicole heard the water shut up after a couple more minutes, allowing a small grin to push on her face as she shifted a bit on the bed in anticipation. It was another few before she heard the door open, and she simply clasped her hands in her lap with a dimpled smile as she watched her slowly walk out.

Waverly looked towards her with a pouted lip after a moment of looking around. “You cleaned,” she mumbled, looking around at what had been a trashed room when she had gone into the bathroom that was now spotless. 

“I did,” she smiled, wrapping her in a hug when she dropped down onto her.

“Thank you, Bub,” Waverly mumbled, pulling back from it and cupping her cheeks as she pressed a soft kiss to her lips. 

“Yer welcome,” Nicole smiled.

Waverly turned sideways on her lap, looking around again with a heart-eyed smile. “. . . How’d you know where everything went?”

“I know yer room, Baby,” Nicole chuckled. “I been in ‘ere quite a few times, believe it or not.” 

“Still,” she mumbled, pulling her eyes from admiring it to look up at her. “I don’t even know if Chrissy could put my things away this good.” 

“Well, Chrissy’s Chrissy,” Nicole mumbled. “She’d forget her arse if it wasn’t connected.”

Waverly let out a snort. “I mean . . . You’re not wrong.”

Nicole chuckled, pressing her face up against her neck. “I know I ain’t.

“Quit smelling me, you weirdo,” Waverly muttered, pushing her head back. 

“Aye, fer t’e one dat jus’ spent an hour in t’e shower, I’d t’ink ya’d want someone ta admire how clean ‘n nice smellin’ ya are now.”

Waverly rolled her eyes when she dropped her head again. “I was  _ moisturizing.”  _

“Were ya  _ moisturizin’  _ or havin’ too much fun with dat fancy shower head ya got in there?” Nicole asked with a smirk. 

Waverly wacked her arm.  _ “Ew!  _ No! What d’you think I have you for?” 

Nicole laughed, pressing some kisses to her cheek as she let them both fall forward and pulled Waverly to be laying on her back underneath her. “Aye, all I’m sayin’ is dat I’ve used t’ree different dorm showers in dis buildin’, and  _ yer’s  _ is t’e only one dat’s detachable.”

“Crissy got it,” Waverlygrumbled, but she quickly pushed her back from kissing her. “Wait,  _ three?”  _

“Yeah,” Nicole said slowly. 

“Who’s? Besides your own?” 

“Dolls’,” she answered. “We’ve worked out together a few times now, ‘n I’ve jus’ gone back ta his place ta wash up since locker room showers give me t’e spooks.”

“Oh,” Waverly mumbled.

“Why?” Nicole asked with a laugh. 

“Just checkin’,” she mumbled with a little smirk. “Making sure you ain’t doing shower teases at some other chick’s place.” 

Nicole shook her head with a roll of her eyes and a smirk. “I don’t t’ink I’ve ever done somethin’ like dat in me life.”

“Good,” Waverly muttered, slipping her hands up her hoodie and running her nails down her sides hard enough to leave marks. “The only one allowed to see this body is me.” 

_ “And _ t’e people at t’e gym when I take me shirt off,” Nicole grinned.

Waverly looked up at her with her jaw dropped open. “. . . You take your shirt off?”

Nicole wiggled her brows. “I do . . . I jus’ get too hot ‘n sticky sometimes, ya know?” 

Waverly swallowed, clearing her throat a little as she ran her fingers down her abs. “. . . Maybe we should go to the gym together later.” 

Nicole raised her brows. “Oh, really? Now ya wanna work out with me? Ya always been scared before.” 

Waverly huffed,  _ “Yeah,  _ ‘cause each time you tell me, and I quote,  _ I’ma work ya ‘til ya can’t move yer arms or legs jus’ so I can carry ya out.”  _

“I don’t sound like dat, but t’ank ya.”

“Yes, you do,” Waverly grumbled, pinching her side.  _ “Anyway.  _ We’re going to the gym later.”

“Den we’re doin’ t’e workout I was supposed ta be doin’ anyways,” Nicole agreed.

“Which is . . .?”

Nicole pressed a kiss to her lips. “Dat’s fer me ta know ‘n you ta find out.” 

Waverly was just about to start whining and complaining again when a knock at the door cut her off. Nicole let out a gasp and rolled off of her, pulling her wallet out of her pocket as she walked over to the door to get their food. 

Waverly didn’t catch anything she and the delivery man said besides a  _ cheers, Mate  _ before she shut the door. Nicole walked over with a drink tray in one hand and a bag of food in the other, giggling like a schoolgirl as she set the tray on the nightstand and the food on the bed. “I’m excited.”

“I can see that,” she laughed as Nicole dug into the bag and handed Waverly the container with her food in it, then reaching for one of the styrofoam cups from the tray. 

“What’s this?” Waverly asked, popping the lid on the top and smelling the steaming tan liquid inside. 

“Dat’s Irish breakfast tea with some creamer.” Waverly flicked her eyes up to her. “Non-dairy creamer, Love.”

She smiled, putting the lid back on and taking a cautionary drink to avoid scorching her entire mouth. “Ok, I’m gonna need eight more of these.”

Nicole chuckled, taking a drink out of what was in her own cup and grinning wide as she swallowed. “I feel ya.”

“What’s that?” 

“Irish coffee,” she said with a little smirk as she sat it down and pulled one of her two to-go boxes out of the bag. 

Waverly narrowed her eyes at her as she opened up her food and stabbed a potato chunk with her fork. “Doesn’t that have whiskey in it?” 

“Ain’t no better way ta start t’e day,” Nicole confirmed.

“It’s  _ 9 AM!” _

“It ain’t even enough ta give me a buzz,” she laughed as she opened her box of food.

Waverly looked down at it with wide eyes.  _ “God damn,  _ that’s a lot.” She traced her eyes over the two pieces of toast, three fried eggs, a pile of fried tomatoes, a pile of mushrooms, two rectangular hashbrowns,  _ and  _ a bowl of what looked like baked beans. “And you got two orders?” 

“Usually comes with a shiteton o’ sausage ‘n bacon, too, but I ain’t eat dat, so yeah.” She shrugged. “Gotta fill dis big ‘ol body somehow.”

“I 100%  _ doubt  _ you’re gonna be able to finish all of that,” Waverly said with a shake of her head as she turned her body to lean back against the wall. 

“Ya wanna bet?” Nicole asked with a raised brow. “Ya realize Robbie’s t’e only person able ta out-eat me, right? My 6’11, 280 pound brother ain’t even able ta come  _ close  _ ta how much food I can shove in dis 6’3, 200 pound body.” 

“You weigh  _ that  _ much?”

_ “Ouch,” _ Nicole hissed.

She threw her a look. “Not like  _ that.  _ I just . . . I dunno.” She stared at her for a moment, flicking her eyes up and down her body. “I forgot how much muscle weighs, I guess.”

Nicole tipped her head at her. “I’m jus’ fat, Love.”

_ “Where?”  _ she huffed, leaning towards her and pulling the bottom of her hoodie up. 

“Aye,” she grumbled, nudging her away as she shoved half a piece of toast into her mouth. “No lookin’ at me tum tum.” 

Waverly rolled her eyes, sitting back again. “Even if you  _ weren’t  _ a beefcake, your weight would be higher just because of how  _ wide  _ your shoulders and upper body is. Like, you’re  _ huge, _ Dude. Not just muscle-wise.”

“It’s dem Haught genes,” she shrugged. “We’re all massive.” 

Waverly waved her fork around in a circle, pointing at her face. “Anyway. Even with  _ all  _ things considered, I still don’t think you can eat all that.” 

Nicole shook her head with a sigh. “I warned ya.”

**3:27 PM**

And Nicole was right. 

She had been  _ more  _ than capable of eating both portions by herself  _ plus  _ drinking the Irish coffee  _ and  _ a cup of orange juice she had also gotten with the meal.

Sure, she had pretty much fallen into a food coma afterwards, but after Waverly had finished her own food, she was asleep right there next to her. 

Now, though, Waverly had just gotten dressed for the gym and was heading downstairs to meet Nicole at her dorm. She was only a  _ little  _ petrified of what Nicole was going to make her do, but she  _ also  _ knew that she hadn’t worked out at all over the past week, so technically she needed whatever she could get.

Waverly tapped her fist against the door, and Nicole opened it and stepped out with a smile. “Ya ready?” Waverly looked her over with a swallow, already trying to figure out how she was going to be able to do  _ anything  _ if she was looking at her with that tight ass black sleeveless t-shirt and joggers outfit.    
“Wave,” Nicole said with a laugh, tipping her chin up.

She widened her eyes up at her, smiling with a breathy laugh. “Yeah- yeah, I’m good.”

Nicole moved to walk behind her, bending down towards her ear. “Fer t’e record, dese leggin’s’re doin’ ya wonders back ‘ere.”

Waverly turned around so she was walking backwards and looking up at her. “Why do you think I wore them?” 

Nicole chuckled with a shake of her head, and they made their way to the gym that was always open for students to use. It wasn’t that full at the moment, so Waverly felt a little bit calmer being in there. 

There was just something about having members of either the football or hockey teams ogling her that made her stomach churn. 

“Alrigh’,” Nicole said as she led them over towards t’e treadmills. “Want me ta explain everythin’ ta ya while I do me super fun arm and leg stretches?”

“I’ve really been dying with anticipation, so yes, please,” Waverly answered as she set her things down next to a bench. 

“Well, since I’m so nice, I found t’e paper I used ta base me warm-up off while I was waitin’ on ya, so now ya know what exactly we’re doin’ first.”

Waverly took it from her, slowly widening her eyes. “You said . . .  _ warm-up?”  _

“Ya lookin’ pale dere, Love.” 

Waverly tipped her head at her. “Hmm, yeah,  _ maybe  _ because this says  _ Navy SEAL Workout  _ at the top!” 

“What?” Nicole laughed, dropping the leg she was stretching and stepping towards her. “It ain’t dat bad.”

_ “Bub!”  _ Waverly whined. “This was supposed to be fun!”

“No,  _ you  _ jus’ wanted ta see me all hot ‘n sweaty without a shirt on,” Nicole corrected. “So, trust me, by t’e end o’ dat, ya’re gonna see it. I’d know considerin’ dat I do dis exact warm-up t’ree times a week.” Waverly pouted her lip again with a whine. “C’mon, Baby. Jus’ quit lookin’ at dat fer a minute and stretch with me.” She pulled the paper out of her hands and set it by the bench. 

_ “Fine,” _ Waverly sighed dramatically, though there was a smirk on her lips as she dropped right down into middle splits. Nicole stared down at her with wide eyes, and she raised her brows at her. “Well, c’mon.” She leaned towards her left leg, wrapping both hands around the bottom of her foot. 

“Ya t’ink I can do dat?” 

“I’d like to see you try,” she giggled. “If you're making me start off my gym day  _ running three miles,  _ I get to take  _ you  _ through a pre-workout stretch.” 

Nicole dropped down onto her butt, letting out a heavy sigh of defeat.  _ “Fine.”  _ She spread her legs with a grimace and reached forward towards one with a groan. “I don’t like dis.” 

“Shut up, you big baby.”

“Oh, we’ll see who t’e  _ real  _ big baby is ‘ere shortly.” 

**4:09 PM**

And Nicole was right.

Once again.

“I can’t!” Waverly whined, hiding behind Nicole so she was further way from the pull-up bar. “My arms hurt!” 

“15 pull-ups, Love. Dat’s it.”

“No!  _ You  _ just made me do  _ 125 push-ups and 125 sit-ups _ after running  _ three miles.  _ I am  _ not  _ doing that.”

“Waves,” Nicole laughed, turning around to face her and grabbing her arms when she tried to move away from her. “Look at yerself. Ya’re fine!”

“No!” she whined again. 

Nicole huffed with a sigh, “Will it make ya feel better if I go first? Dat’ll gie ya more time ta relax.”

Waverly narrowed her eyes at her before letting out a breath of defeat. “Fine.”

Nicole nodded with a smile, though she leaned down towards her ear. “Do ya know what time it is?” 

“What time is it?” Waverly grumbled.

Nicole turned away from her and walked towards the pull-up bar, tugging her shirt off and tossing it back at her in the process. Waverly giggled, setting it down and moving to stand next to the bar as Nicole grabbed a hold of it and began doing some. “Is dis some more motivation fer ya, Darlin’?”

“Oh, it most definitely is.” 

Nicole chuckled, continuing to rock out the 15 pull-ups before dropping down and letting out a heavy breath. “Yer turn.” 

She let out a dramatic groan, walking over to the bar and sticking her arms up. “Welp, I can’t reach it, I guess that means I don’t have-”

Nicole grabbed her hips from behind her and lifted her up, raising a brow when her fingers touched the bar. “Is dat better fer ya?”

Waverly let out a heavy sigh, wrapping her fingers around it and dropping to hang off of it when Nicole let go of her. “I don’t like you.” 

“Yes, ya do,” Nicole chuckled as she began to do some reps. 

She got about halfway before dropping off of it.  _ “Nope.” _

“C’mon.” Nicole grabbed her hips so she would stay there. “Take a breath. Only eight more, Love. Den I ain’t makin’ ya do nothin’ else.” 

“But-” 

“Ain’t ya gonna be so proud o’ yerself if ya get all t’e way t’rough it? If ya don’t, I know yer gonna be bummin’ fer t’e rest o’ t’e day.” 

Waverly pursed her lips, knowing that was true. “. . . Ok.” Nicole lifted her up again so she could grab the bar. “Don’t let me fall.” 

“I ain’t, Baby,” she promised, letting go of her but keeping her hands up to follow her hips as she started again. She got through four shaky ones before letting out a groan. Nicole grabbed ahold of her and lifted her up a bit so the weight was off her arms and moved around to the other side of her body so she could see her. “Ya’re doin’ amazin’.”

_ “Bub,” _ she whined. 

“Four more. I know ya can do it.” She let go so she was on her own again. “Use dat bad bitch energy, Wave. Let’s go.” 

Waverly let out a shaky breath with a nod. “I’ma bad bitch.”

Nicole’s smile grew wider and wider as she powered through the last four, and no matter how shaky they were, she was still very proud that she got through them.  _ “Fuck yeah, _ take a look at Bad Bitch Waves.” Waverly let out an exhausted groan, letting go of the bar and smiling a little when Nicole kept her lifted off the ground as she pulled her into a hug. “I’m so proud o’ me baby.” 

“Thank you,” Waverly mumbled, feeling her gently set her on the ground. 

Nicole smiled wide as she met her eyes and pinched one of her flushed cheeks. “Me baby deserves a night out now since she was such a bad bitch today.”

“How many more times are you gonna call me a bad bitch?” 

“As many times as I want.”

Waverly shook her head with a giggle. “Ok then . . . Where are we going?” 

“I guess yer gonna find out when we get dere, aye? Jus’ get all pretty ‘n shite, ‘n it’ll be grand.” Nicole turned towards the weighs near where they were.

“Where are you going?” 

She looked at her over her shoulder with a grin. “Time ta pump some iron ta keep dese arms ya’re so fond of.” 

Waverly’s mouth fell open a bit in absolute horror of how she was able to keep going after all of that, but she slowly followed anyway, knowing she wouldn’t want to miss  _ that  _ gun show for the world.

**6:13 PM**

The two had parted ways after they left the gym to take time to get ready for the night. Waverly had absolutely no idea what was going on except that she needed to dress nicely for it. When she got to thinking about it, she realized that she and Nicole had never really been on a  _ real  _ date before. Sure, they had gone to the diner and stuff, but nothing fancy or anything. She was actually really excited about it, so now all she was doing was checking herself over in the mirror a million times to make sure she looked ok.

“Waverly, stop it,” Chrissy huffed. “You look  _ fine.”  _

“But do I?” she asked with a whine as she turned to face her. 

Chrissy pushed off her bed with a huff. “Dude, you look sexy as shit. Calm the fuck down.” 

Waverly let out a sigh, turning back towards the mirror and pulling at the waist of her blue-grey skater dress with a purse of her lips. “I dunno . . .”

Before Chrissy could smack her upside the head, they both heard the knock at the door. Waverly looked towards her with wide, horrified eyes, and Chrissy rolled her eyes hard enough to see her brain. She gave her a shove towards the door before turning back to her bed. “You act like you’ve never met your girlfriend before or something.” 

Waverly flipped her off before pulling the door open with a soft smile that quickly faltered as she looked her over. “Hey,” she breathed out, knowing damn well there was a blush burning her cheeks. 

“Hi, Love,” she mumbled with the same look on her face. Nicole was in a  _ skin tight _ white, short-sleeved button up and navy dress pants. She was holding onto a cotton navy blazer thrown over a shoulder with one hand and a bouquet of pink tulips with the other. “I, uh, I got ya dese.” 

Waverly took them when she handed them out to her with a pouted lip. "Bub . . ." She grabbed her hand and pulled her into the dorm, shutting the door and pressing her hand against her stomach as she stood up on her toes to kiss her. "They're beautiful, thank you." 

"Ya're welcome," she mumbled softly, rubbing her thumb on her hip. "Ya look gorgeous, by t'e way." 

Waverly blushed even darker than the time before. "You look . . ." She swallowed as she looked Nicole over again.  _ "Amazing."  _

She chuckled as Waverly turned away for a moment to put the flowers in a vase. "T'ank ya, Dear." She watched her for a moment before leaning back against the door. "So where'd yer glasses run off ta?" 

Waverly looked towards her with a cocked brow and a crooked smile. "I'm wearing contacts."

"Why?" 

Waverly set the vase of water down, walking back over to her. "'Cause you said fancy and semi-formal clothes, I dunno." 

Nicole furrowed her brow. "Well, why's no glasses Wavey more dapper compared ta glasses Wavey?" 

Waverly gave Chrissy a wave over her shoulder as she pulled the door open and nudged Nicole out. "'Cause my glasses are ugly and I wanted to look good," she answered. "Why are you so concerned about this again?" 

Nicole stopped in the hallway with tightly furrowed brows. "Yer glasses are  _ not _ ugly, Waverly Earp." 

Waverly huffed, grabbing her wrist and tugging her to follow. "It's not a big deal, Bub. C'mon."

"Nuh-uh. I ain't goin' no where 'til ya tell me dat yer beautiful just as much with glasses as ya are without 'em."

Waverly rolled her eyes with a nod. "Yeah, ok, whatever. Now let's go, I wanna know where we're going." Nicole tipped her head at her.  _ "Nicole!"  _

"Say it." 

She let out a loud groan. "I'm beautiful with and without my glasses- now  _ let's go."  _

Nicole smiled and allowed Waverly to drag her towards the elevator. "Much betta." 

Waverly leaned back against her once they were safely inside, feeling her stomach do flip flops when Nicole's hands splayed out over her abdomen. ". . . How are we even getting to where we're going?" she questioned, looking up at her. "You can't drive here and you didn't tell me to get my keys.." 

"Ya've got so many questions, Sweetheart," Nicole chuckled as she pressed a kiss to her temple. "Jus' accept t'e fact dat I'm makin' dis evening a surprise fer ya." 

"I don't  _ like  _ surprises," Waverly whined as they got out of the elevator. "I'm a  _ planner,  _ I like to know what's going on at  _ all  _ times." 

"I guess dat's too bad den," Nicole laughed, drooping her blazer over Waverly's shoulders and pushing the main door of the lobby open for her. 

She let out another groan in annoyance, but Nicole simply pushed her hands into her pockets with a smile and a shake of her head, heading in the direction towards the road right in front of the dorms. 

Waverly furrowed her brows as she noticed they were approaching a  _ familiar _ car parked off to the side. "Is . . . Is that Levi?" 

"Hey, Ladies!" he shouted, waving one of his arms with a big grin. "Tonight, you may call me Mr. Levi, for  _ I  _ am your wonderful chauffeur for the evening." He opened the door for them, and Nicole laughed as she let Waverly climb in first before doing so herself. 

Nicole buckled up, looking up at him when he climbed in the driver's seat. "T'anks again, Levi- And I ain't callin' ya Mr. Levi, so don't even start." 

He shifted the car out of park and pulled away from the curb, looking up at them in the rearview mirror with a smile. "Hey, anything to ensure that my favorite lesbian couple has an amazing date night." 

**7:49 PM**

Waverly resisted the urge to wrap herself around Nicole's arm after they reached the parking lot of the  _ very  _ fancy restaurant they had just dined at, noting the number of people that were around. She was more than happy with how lovely their evening together had been and was almost sad it was coming to an end. She let out a hum as she could see Levi rocking out to whatever jazz was playing inside his car as he waited for them in the parking lot. "I had a great time tonight, Baby," she mumbled with content as she looked up at her with a slightly buzzed smile from the bottle of wine they had shared. "We need to do this more often." 

"Well, good t'ing t'e night's only beginnin' den, aye?" 

Waverly looked up at her with furrowed brows as Nicole opened the car door for her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Nicole closed the door on her and walked around to the other side to climb in, looking up at Levi with a dimpled smile. "Dat means we're ready fer our second stop o' t'e night, Mate." 

"Then off we go!" 

Waverly whined and complained the entire car ride after Nicole continued to refuse to tell her where they were going. She got a little quiet as they got closer and closer to where they were ending up, slightly recognizing the direction they were going but not enough to put a finger on it. 

Levi turned down a road, though, and it was  _ then  _ that she figured it out. 

Waverly grabbed Nicole’s arm and flopped it around with a face-splitting grin on her lips. “Are we really?!”

Nicole laughed as she stilled Waverly’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Are we what, Dear?” 

“Are we going to The Glenbow?!”

“Why, it seems Mr. Levi’s pullin’ into dat very parkin’ lot, ain’t it?” Nicole asked with a grin.

“I thought you weren’t calling me th-” 

“Shut it,” Nicole grumbled. 

Waverly squealed, bouncing up and down as Levi drove around to the front of the building to drop them off. “Oh my God! I-” She yanked Nicole into a rough kiss to cut herself off, pulling away with a wide smile. “I’m so excited!” 

“I seen a flier ‘bout t’e openin’ night fer some exhibits ‘n shite dis weekend, so I figured ya might be interested since, ya know . . . Ya’re a history major dat’s obsessed with museums.”

Waverly giggled again, unbuckling and scooting closer to her so she was able to pepper her entire face with kisses. “Do you know how  _ bad  _ I wanted to come to this opening night?”

_ “Like, so super duper bad,”  _ Nicole mocked in her signature Waverly voice. 

She pinched her thigh but nodded anyway. “Yes, like  _ so  _ super duper bad!-” She paused after realizing she had said  _ exactly  _ what she had said to mock her and pursed her lips when Nicole let out a bark of laughter.

“Ya ain’t ever allowed ta tell me I ain’t do t’e perfect impression of ya again.” 

“Let me have my moment,” Waverly whined, pulling the door handle on Nicole’s side and unbuckling her. “Go! Out, out!” 

Nicole shook her head with a chuckle as she climbed out, dipping her head back in to look at Levi. “T’anks again fer tonight, Mate. I owe ya.” 

“Nah, it’s no biggie. You guys have fun now!” 

“We will!” Waverly said excitedly as she poked her head in beside Nicole’s after having walked around to her side. 

Levi chuckled. “Alright, I’ll see ya later!” 

“Bye!” they both said as Nicole closed the car door, and Levi pulled away. Nicole stepped up onto the curb and pulled her blazer on, buttoning some of the buttons on the front and straightening it down. 

Waverly furrowed her brow as she watched Levi pull out of the parking lot instead of finding a place to park to wait on them. “Where’s he going?” she asked as they walked towards the entrance.

Nicole pulled the door open and let her in, knowing there was a smirk dusting her lips. “He’s, uh, droppin’ our bag off at t’e hotel across the street.”

_ “Hotel?”  _ Waverly asked with a sly grin. “What’re you suggesting, Corporal?” 

She let out a low hum as they walked into the main lobby of the museum where a bunch of people were milling around. “Let’s jus’ say we ain’t got Chrissy  _ nor  _ Robin ta worry about buggin’ us tonight.” 

Waverly looked up at her with darkened eyes that had Nicole half-tempted to drag her right over there now. “My baby had  _ every last detail  _ for the night planned out, huh?” 

She tipped her head a bit with a tut. “Maybe not  _ every last one.”  _

“How so?”

Nicole stepped behind her as they got in line to show the tickets Nicole had already bought, and she ran her hands down her arms with a squeeze as she dropped her mouth to her ear. “I t’ink it’d be rather boring if I picked  _ every  _ position I’ma bend ya in tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You poor pervs don't get to see the hotel scene 😢
> 
> HOPE YA LIKED IT!!


End file.
